NFS: Torque
by xXCrownofChaosXx
Summary: When Travis is released from Rockport prison, his first mission is to reconnect with his former girlfriend, Trina Vega. Unfortunately, his past continues to haunt him while his future looks to be in jeopardy. As his path takes him into the dangerous world of racer gangs, drug lords, he'll stop at nothing to exact his vengeance.
1. Chapter 1: Feed My Addiction

**I took the time to look over this entire story, chapter by chapter, and decided to rewrite it. I'll keep the original concept of the VictoriousxNeed For Speed franchise but this time I will be integrating a different method into this version of the story. I will be looking for OC's throughout the fic but haven't figured exactly how many I will accept. I really would like to have a small handful of OC's to add so this fiction can have some distinct flavor. While the plot will follow the timelines of Most Wanted and Carbon, the main story is mainly AU and will feature hints and similarities to said storylines. If you would like to donate a character, message me and I'll send the application.**

* * *

 **Title: NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 1: Enter Palmont City**

 **Chapter 1: Feed My Addiction**

"Thomas, wake your ass up and pack your stuff!"

"..."

"Thomas, if you don't get your lazy ass up, I'll have you thrown into the hole!"

A low growl bounced off of the walls of a jail cell as Travis struggled to pull himself from the 'comfort' of his bunk. Rubbing his eyes, he noticed two officers were standing inside the cell with impatient scowls on their faces.

"Good, you're finally awake." the first officer spoke up. "Now pack up your shit, and follow us."

Travis Thomas packed up what belonged to him and without another word, walked out of the cramped room, he called home for the past year and a half. Walking past the cells of the other men, he went along with the standard procedure upon stepping out of the larger room. Being handcuffed and escorted was nothing new to him at this point, but a measure of curiosity gnawed at him. He didnt understand where he was being taken to. The last time he was escorted by the police, it was after he was sentenced to a minimum of 3 years for crimes committed as a blacklist member.

"What's going on?" his voice had deepened a little since being incarcerated and his facial hair grew into a full beard. His hair had grown considerably long but he still managed to keep his trademark high up ponytail. He also wound up gaining about 40 pounds of muscle bringing his weight to 220 pounds. On his right arm was a tattoo sleeve that resembled yakuza but one thing that stood out was the wolf in the middle of it. During his time is Rockport State Prison, Travis had managed to survive on the crappy food and horrible conditions. It was nothing to get through physical pain, as evident of the scars from being shot over three years ago. As he walked down the lone hallway that led to the processing area, he thought back to that day. The day led to his life going down the drain...

 **Flashback- 3 Years ago**

Travis parked his car under the bridge that covered a small portion of the pier and just stared out at the pouring rain. It was perfect considering he was truly heartbroken and a few tears fell as a result. He decided that some fresh air was necessary, and pulling up his hood, Travis stepped outside and just started walking to no where in particular. Not caring about getting soaked, he trudged along the sidewalk path until he wound up on the far end of the boardwalk where the booths and food stands that were normally active, stood quiet and dim. With every passing second he could feel the wait of his past weighing heavier on his mind and heart.

"I can't believe this..." he muttered while leaning against the railing. "...how did this happen?"

"How, indeed..."

Turning around quickly, Travis stood face to face to two unknown gunmen. While he was unable to discern their identities, he could clearly tell that one of them was a woman by the size of her figure. The dark atmosphere grew even darker when the clicking sound of both guns triggered him to put his hands up. The wind howled with a vengeance as the crash of thunder echoed.

"Who are you-?"

Both figures smirked as they fired a shot each that hit him square in the chest sending him over the rail into the raging ocean. After checking and confirming that Travis was indeed swept away by the aggressive waves, the male pulled out a cell phone.

"Hello?" the voice answered.

"It's done... #14 is officially taken out..."

"Good work, Baron.. You and Kaze now you can claim your prize."

With a wicked grin, Baron gave his partner the good news in which she allowed a similar smirk to rest on her lips. They both took one last look at the crashing waves before leaving the area. Meanwhile, unknown to them, Travis had barely managed to hold on to one of the posts with his left arm. He was able to catch the names of the two who had tried to end his life just then. Gritting his teeth, he vowed vengeance against them as another strong wave hit him square in the face causing to sputter a bit.

"Dammit.." he coughed out as he felt his grip slipping. "...I can't die here. I won't die here."

Travis knew that with only one arm usable, he couldn't swim very well but it was either attempt it, or stay where he was and wait to die from the blood loss if he didn't drown first. Timing the chaotic waves, he took a deep breath and dove under the water just before tide rushed in again and used the current to carry himself back to shore. Once he pushed far enough out to the shore, Travis began to pull himself with his good arm until the exhaustion and intense pain caused him to pass out. He awoke to find himself in a hospital bed with and IV in one arm and handcuffs on the other. Needless to say, he was immediately processed, tried, and convicted within the span of a couple of months and was transferred to Rockport state prison.

Now here he was sitting on a bench in the changing room dressed in the clothes he wore before his incarceration awaiting the officer to come back. Despite all that had happened, there was something or rather someone on his mind that had the most impact on him.

"Trina..." he whispered to himself; allowing a sad grin to appear on his face. As his mind began to fill with thoughts of the young woman he had fallen in love with. There wasn't a day that went by that Katrina Vega didn't cross his mind. He would lay in his bunk and wondering if she was alright. He knew that things were still left unresolved between the two before the series of events that transpired and his first mission was to fix that. By the time he managed to get a handle on his feelings, he found himself sitting on a bus and leaving the "rehabilitation" facility and heading back to the city.

The city that held nothing but guilt and regret for Travis...

* * *

After what felt like ages, Rashad finally arrived back in the city. Stepping down from the bus, he surveyed his surroundings and took note of the graffiti covered walls as he made his way down the street to Rosewood. He clutched his bag as multiple thoughts filled his head.

Would Trina forgive him?

What about Ryanna?

How was he going to explain all that had happened to him?

Rashad gritted his teeth as a stray tear ran down his face. His brown eyes welled up and he choked back the sob that fought to break free. Still, he pressed on down a busy street just as the sun began to disappear over the horizon. As the sun lowered; increasing his shadow, Rashad could feel the weight of his choices getting heavier with each step. His mind was swarming with thoughts, his body was wrecked from the inside out and his soul was empty.

"Hey!" Hearing the voice, Rashad managed to come out of his pity party and noticed a grey Ford Mustang Shelby slowly pulling up next to him. He watched as the tinted window on the passenger's side went down revealing a familiar smirk he hadn't seen in a while. "Get in.." Before he knew it, the two were riding past Camden Beach heading into the quiet town of Rosewood. For the most part, the drive was uneventful to say the least as neither of the two uttered a word. "I can't believe it's you... Where have you been?"

Silence was all he received from his once vibrant friend; in his place was a nearly mute and docile stranger.

"Listen, I know you're upset, but you can't go around beating yourself up about this. I know you hold yourself responsible for what happened to..."

"Please, Liam. Not right now..." Rashad responded as he finally looked into his friend's eyes for the first time since seeing him again. "I can't handle hearing her name again. It was my fault for not telling her about my past; my fault for not making things right when I had the chance... I have nobody to blame but myself for whatever happened to her..."

Without warning, Liam slammed on the brakes causing Rashad's body to jerk forward. Thankfully, his seat belt secured him in place but due to his height, he still hit his head against the dash board. "Ow... son of a-!"

"Get out." Liam said coldly before doing so himself.

Once outside, Travis surveyed his surroundings seeing just a few orange tinted clouds hovering over the setting sun. His brown eyes took in his environment and immediately he knew where he was. "Why did you stop here?!" he yelled out of desperation as they both stood in front of the very garage that he and his estranged ex-girlfriend once shared.

But, instead of responding vocally, Liam answered him with a solid right hook to the jaw knocking him square on his butt.

"I've had it! I understand you're feeling angry with yourself about what happened between you and Trina but that is beside the point. Judging by those bullet wounds in your chest, you were lucky you weren't killed! Nevermind Trina, right now. What about your own sister? Did you even consider how she feels thinking that you're still missing all of this time?! Do you know how destroyed she was to hear that you were possibly dead?! But I guess since you've decided to be a deadbeat and forget all about those who care about you, maybe it's best that you leave since you've just given up on everything.."

Rashad could only stare at the ground in shame as Liam's words pierced him deeper than any bullet ever could. Of course he'd thought about Ryanna many times while incarcerated. He couldn't get her out of his mind and desperately wanted to see her but once again shame and guilt washed over him as he shook those thoughts out of his head.

"You don't understand, Liam. Trina doesn't want to see me... she is better off without me..."

Rage began to build in the young man's body but he patiently listened to the words of the broken man before him.

"Ever since what happened back then, I've replayed that scenario thousands of times in my head. Ryanna never knew the real reason we were always moving. She was just barely 15 when we left. I had never... I'd never been more scared in my life but she was worth it, Liam."

"What are you talking about?"

Taking a deep breath, Rashad looked his friend in the eyes. "The man I killed was our father. Well technically, my dad..." Seeing how Liam's expression hadn't changed, he proceeded. "After I was born, our mother left my dad due to the excessive amount of abuse she endured. It was around that time when she met another man who actually treated her like she was worth something..." Looking up, Rashad noticed that Liam was leaning against the hood of his car listening. "Well that's where Ryanna came in. Despite us not being related by blood, I loved her and protected her as if we were. For the next few years, we were happy until my 'father' decided to make an appearance... Somehow word got out that mom and Ryanna's dad were married and he..."

"What happened, Travis? Come on..."

Travis, who had picked himself off of the ground, continued to just stare at the ground before finally resuming.

"One night, after my high school graduation, that man broke into the house and attacked our parents. When she and I got back home, he was standing over their bodies. The sight of our dead parents froze us where we stood as he stalked us... Finally I managed to bum rush him and told my sister to run to her room and lock the door. I tried to fight that monster, but he over powered me and nearly knocked me unconscious. It's not much that I really remember from that night except pulling him off of her and yelling for her to leave the house. After that, I only remember running out of the house, and driving off. From that day, we were living city to city, until we came here."

There was a long silence that only served to increase the awkwardness between the two. Liam sighed figuring that he was going to be the one finally speak.

"So, does she know? I mean, does she know what happened exactly?"

"No, she only knows that I attacked my father and later on I hopped in the car and drove off with her."

"Alright then. Well we'll keep that between us until you're ready to tell her what happened. But for now, we got to get you cleaned up." Liam extended his hand in order to help Travis to his feet. "No offense, but you're long overdue for a shave.. ugh.. and a shower too."

To his surprise and relief, Travis actually chuckled at the truth behind Liams' words.

"Yeah, you've got a point there. It's been long overdue..."

Liam held his nose and laughed while heading to his side of the car. "So let's get going and then I'll fill you in on what's been going on since you disappeared."

Once inside the car, Travis couldn't help but look out at the setting sun wondering just what would await him once he arrived back in Rosewood. Seeing the various colors of the horizon, while normally calming to many, only brought a wave of uncertainty to his mind. He knew that in life, things changed, and that was the very thing that troubled him as he watched the familiar surroundings pass by.

Releasing a soft sigh, he finally turned his attention to Liam whose eyes were firmly on the road. "Is there anything you can tell me before we get there?"

To his surprise, Liam chuckled in a way that brought a look of concern. "You have no idea..." it was a dark, humorless laugh that Travis took as a bad omen. "The gang got separated over the past year of so... Majority of the Blacklist is taken over by their original members again and-"

"What about my sister and Trina?"

Liam could only shake his head with a soft sigh. "She's [your sister] fine.. She's actually staying with Andre just a few miles away from Rockport. After you disappeared last year, she couldn't bear the idea of you being dead. She didn't even try to fight for her ranking and started having a nervous breakdown. When the gang split up, Andre took her to Palmont city and that's where they are now."

Travis nodded. "I'll find her someday..." His entire being was disturbed at the outcome but at least his sister was safe. He knew of all people, Andre was probably the most trustworthy. He scoffed and grinned bitterly when the realization hit him. "So what about Trina?" despite his 'calm' demeanor, Liam could pick up the subtle tone of desperation. It was no secret that the two were in love. From the moment he first met the two they were always protective of one another. Trina actually stood up the Ice Queen, Jade due to him and Liam knew very well how far Travis would go to keep her safe. "Liam..."

His call broke the collected male's concentration as they entered the Rosewood Borough. "Travis... before I tell you anything, you have to swear that you won't fly off the handle." As he finished that statement, Liam and Travis found themselves at the old garage. Travis couldn't make heads or tails of the feelings deep inside of him. He was a bundle of nerves and emotions. Liam could see this on his friend's face. "You have to swear you're not going to do something stupid..."

"Liam, just tell me-."

"Not until you swear to me, Travis!"

Brushing his dreadlocks out of his face, the former #14 Blacklist driver exhaled sharply. He refused to meet the driver's gaze, yet he could feel the intense look burrowing a hole in the side of his head. He knew he would do whatever it took to protect Trina. All of that time spent in prison allowed him enough clarity to figure that out. He would cross that forbidden line again... he did it once when he and his sister were younger... He could and would do it again. He would kill to protect the woman he loves.

"Get out of the car..." It was Liam's turn to pull him out of his thoughts. "There's something you need to see."

Unable to do anything else, Travis complied as the two exited the vehicle letting the doors to the Ford Shelby Mustang slam shut.

Rashad Nichols and Liam Moreau stood in front of the former's old home; the place he shared with Trina Vega. With a hard gaze at the building, he steeled his emotions as he forced himself to push back the moments of his past. When he was truly happy...

"What are we doing here?" he asked with a not so subtle growl in his tone.

Liam, instead of responding to his question, simply began walking towards the garage. "I told you.. come with me."

"I'm not playing with you!" Rashad roared with rage only to find himself being ignored as his friend simply opened the door and entered the building. "Dammit..." he gritted his teeth as he did as he was told and followed behind the young man. He entered the building to see it was, to no surprise, wrecked. Sure, the foundation of the building was more than stable, but the furniture was broken or just beyond dirty and in need of replacing. "What the hell happened here?" he asked out loud.

"They happened..." Rashad turned to find Liam leaning against the wall near the back rooms. "Will you listen to everything I have to say?"

Despite his emotions raging, he took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright. First off, Razor happened.." with the light hanging above him, you could clearly see the normally calm Liam show emotion. His face was twisted in a mix of anger and regret. "It happened a few months after you disappeared. We all met hear to try and comfort Trina when we were raided. Cops busted in with guns drawn. They were shooting and yelling but fortunately, we all managed to get out with little injuries." Liam then walked over to the small grate at the base of the concrete wall. Setting it to the side, he pulled out a small cardboard box. "After we escaped, I took the risk of returning and found these letters. They were written for you..."

Travis looked on at Liam set the box down on a worn down table. "Trina... She-?"

"Trina wrote you everyday after the incident..." he sighed heavily. "For a year, her feelings and most personal feelings were put in each of these letters."

It took only a moment for the dread-locked young man to tear up. "Where is she?"

Silence.

Liam just stared at the ground.

"Liam, where is Trina?" his tone let out more desperation than he'd like, but he couldn't care less. "Please, I need to see her!"

"You can't..."

An instant... that's all it took for Travis to grab his friend by the collar of his jacket. "Tell me now!" he roared.

However, Liam was not intimidated by the actions of his roughed up best friend as he steeled his resolve. The two friends glared for what seemed like an eternity; each man's eyes burning with a fire. In Liam's eyes, a contained fire that signified no fear while in Travis' eyes, a wild flame was burning maliciously along with a hint of...

'desperation.'

Liam sighed and calmly took Travis' hand from his jacket and flashed a smile at his seemingly broken friend. "Trina isn't here in Rockport anymore. In fact nobody is..."

With a look of confusion that shifted to one of anger, Travis could only stare at the ground as he gritted his teeth. "What happened?"

"They all left after a big raid on the blacklist last year."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Travis let out a sharp breath at the news he was hearing. "So, where are they now?"

After what seemed like a long pause, Travis found his question answered in the form of keys being tossed to him. Raising an eyebrow, he watched as Liam took him behind the garage. "We're going to Palmont City." Liam announced with a sly smirk. He then revealed a custom blue Mitsubishi Lancer. "I'll be heading there tomorrow morning while you get everything set for your drive tonight. I called in a favor for you to get past the roadblocked road that leads out of town. Whatever you do, don't stop for too long." Travis simply nodded at the plan. "I'll upload the path on your GPS when you set off. For now though, just pack up and rest up for the drive."

Liam and Travis finished their discussion and it was then that the latter realized that he needed to fix himself up before his night run. He packed his things up and then set out for a bite to eat, his thoughts completely on one thing. "Trina... I'll find you."

* * *

 **So this is chapter one, and I hope this was enjoyable for you to read as it was to write. Like I said, this is a revised version of my old fic, Most Wanted. The reason I couldn't finish it was because it got very complicated and difficult to keep writing. So, I decided to start a new version of the story with the main plot of the original version being inserted later on. For now, I will start the story with the Carbon Arc and pick up with either the Most Wanted Arc later or Underground (1 and 2). Either way, this series will continue in one form or another. The victorious cast will be brought in the next few chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2: Tilted

**Okay so first off. Thank you to those who've read and enjoyed chapter one of NFS: Torque. I apologize for the delay but I had a lot of ideas floating around from and to me involving this. The original plan was to link this story to my older story Most Wanted. However, in order to keep things simplistic, I'm going to use the Most Wanted story in a slightly different way but it will be integrated into this story probably only in flashbacks. Any re-writes to Most Wanted will be it's own separate story tough it will be tied to this one as well in some form. My original plan is to have the events of Underground (1 and 2), Most Wanted, and Carbon all into one whole story or continuation. The two undergrounds are the prequel, Most Wanted is the main story, and Carbon to be the sequel. So while I'm writing this story first, Carbon is actually the last of the arcs according to the franchise timeline. NFS: Torque will focus mostly on the Carbon storyline while dipping into Most Wanted for key elements to the current story. The full Most Wanted story will be rewritten as a whole and The Underground series while connected will also be its own individual story as well.**

 **Lastly I would like to address some of the other titles in the Need for Speed series. Any other title, other than those mentioned above, that are written will be completely separate. Although I am currently still in the idea phase, I can say that Undercover is guaranteed to be written. The expectation is to keep that away from the other stories and be its own thing. My main focus is on this story with hopes of finishing it while keeping it stable in terms of consistency and interest. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it.**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 1: Enter Palmont City**

 **Chapter 2: Tilted**

Carbon Canyon.

To the average driver, it is a thing of beauty as the moon envelopes the land, creating a peaceful backdrop to contrast the bright lights of the city below.

However, to street crews, it is the ultimate proving ground.

Carbon Canyon has been the be all end all when it comes to the street racing scene. Only the most experienced drivers would dare race on it. Only the best survive it's twists and curves. Inside the racing world, it is the decision maker. Few have driven in the canyon aside from entering or leaving the city, and even fewer have survived the way down. It's beauty serves only to hide the true maliciousness it can reap on those who foolishly attempt to conquer it.

One such driver knows all too well what this road is capable of...

The full moon pierced the clear night sky as its bright light clung to the dark blue Mitsubishi Lancer cruising down the canyon. The driver, a now clean and rested Travis drove down the canyon with his mind full of conflicting memories. The darkness of the night shrouded the vehicle as it weaved down the lone road as the question of his sister's location, as well as his estranged girlfriend. His dark green eyes, while focused on the dimly lit road ahead, held within the pain of the past he's hope to leave behind. That pain within him was what caused him to miss three years of his life to the Rock Port judicial system. Thankfully, he had run across Liam who was like a brother to him. After the events at the now abandoned garage in Rosewood, Travis had managed to cut off the thick beard that had formed along his face. In its place was a neatly trimmed goatee and a thin mustache that allowed to retain his slightly matured look.

His dark brown hair, while still in dreadlocks, had been touched up in a ponytail so that they were only a little past his shoulders He had long gotten rid of his ratty old clothes from his old days before prison; replaced by a grey A-shirt that hugged his toned dark chest and black jogging pants. Around his neck, a black choker necklace with a wolf's paw rested. Checking his GPS, Travis noticed that he was halfway to his destination. He sighed softly and continued down the path as he arrived closer to his destination.

"Ryanna... Trina..." he called out softly. "...I wonder if.. you can forgive me?"

As Travis pulled into a dimly lit tunnel, his mind finally escorted him to the dark moment of his past that continued to haunt him to this day.

 **Rockport City (Rosewood) Three Years Ago**

A few weeks after some arrangements were settled upon, Liam and Tori decided to catch up on some rest while Trina was busy browsing online. After checking various shopping sites, she decided to do something else and started typing in random names into a search engine.

"Okay, lets start with..." she tapped her finger against her chin for a moment. "...Travis Thomas."

Tapping the proper keys she immediately came across multiple links that mentioned many guys by the same name but none of the results were anywhere connected to her boyfriend. "Hmmm... It's like he doesnt even..." suddenly her eyes caught sight of a picture that matched her search. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant thing to view. In front of her was a mug shot of Travis only his hair was much shorter and instead of a small patch of facial hair, there was nothing but smooth chocolate skin. Trina started to panic but found herself intrigued with curiosity and clicked on it. Below the picture was a link that redirected her to the main page for warrants in Olympic City and Bayview respectively. She took a moment to look over her shoulders, making sure Tori or Liam was not around, and clicked the intended record.

Travis Vincent Thomas

*File #: 2739X-4G928

*Charges: 5 counts

A. Grand Theft Auto (Rockport)

B. Police Evasion (Rockport/Olympic City/Bayview)

C. Battery (Rockport)

D. Assault (Olympic City)

E. Manslaughter-Second Degree (Olympic City)

*Status: Unknown

*Bounty: $1,500,000,000

Trina's eyes nearly popped out of her head after reading the final charge. Sure she herself had to admit that her own past was no where near clean, but that was nothing compared to the last charge. Before she could investigate further, she heard the sounds of locks turning and quickly turned off the computer monitor and darted for her room. As her door shut, the back door opened to reveal Travis himself. He shut the door behind him and tossed his bag on the couch just as Trina walked out trying to act casually.

"Hey beautiful." he walked over to hug her only for her to jerk away slightly. "Trina? What's wrong?"

The latina woman bit her lip while trying to keep herself from having a breakdown.

"Trina, is something wrong?"

Looking him in his eyes, Trina could see the love and concern practically pouring from him. She wanted nothing more than to hug him and never let go; to show him that she too loved him without judgement. So how did it end up in the exact opposite scenario occurred? Why did it turn out that before her was her now stunned and confused boyfriend on the floor rubbing the left side of his now sore face.

"What the hell was that for?" he picked himself up and yelled. "What did I do to deserve that?!"

Liam and Tori rushed out of the room to see the couple glaring at one another.

"Why did you do it?" she yelled back.

"Do what? I dont know what you're talking about!"

"Really now? So you don't remember the eyes of the person you killed, Travis?!" she exploded.

The room grew quiet as those words sunk into his brain. His eyes grew to the size of golf balls when her words poured from her mouth.

"Travis, what's she talking about?" Tori asked.

No words would come out. Rashad just stood there frozen in terror at what Trina was accusing him of. Liam looked at the two and was about to say something to Rashad as well only to be cut off instantly.

"How did you know about...?" he

"...So it is true..." Trina crossed her arms.

Rashad just remained there trying to find the words to explain the current situation but nothing would come out. His mind was racing at 100 miles per hour as his eyes remained on Trina's unnerving gaze. "Trina, you... you don't understand."

"What's not to understand? You killed someone!"

"It was self-defense!" he snapped back.

"Why did you kill them?!" she roared back.

"They were going to kill her!" he finally admitted before storming out of the garage.

Trina remained planted in the same spot as she heard the sound of an engine roaring and soon after the pulling off of a vehicle. The couple watched as Trina began to shake as tears began to flow down her face. The sheer shock of finding out that Rashad was involved in killing someone was more than enough to mess with her emotions, but now she had to deal with the fact that she may have very well just cost herself the man of her dreams. Unable to stand the reality of her actions, Trina collapsed and sobbed bitterly as Tori and Liam helped her to her feet.

"Hold on, Trina. It's going to be okay..."

 **Palmont City-Present Day**

Travis was jerked out of his memories when a bright light bounced off of his rear view window. Before he could process who was tail gating him, he felt the vehicle slam into the back of his car. The Lancer began to swerve slightly just as he was about to turn on a major curve in the road. After narrowly avoiding the edge of the road, Travis finally had the opportunity to see a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 speeding up behind him.

"What the hell?" Travis growled as once again the driver rammed his vehicle into his own car.

Pushing on the throttle, the Lancer began to pull away, causing the mysterious driver to narrowly miss him. Soon the two were on a classic high speed chase. The two kept up the game of Cat & Mouse down the lone path leading the city, with Travis just managing to put a tiny amount of distance between him and his chaser. However, he checked his rear view mirror again to see that the gap had widened and with a sigh of relief, he finally let out a hearty laugh.

"That'll teach you to challenge.. whoa!"

The victory was short lived as Travis Thomas found himself swerving into a construction zone. The initial impact caused the young man's head to collide with the window, disorientating his vision. Everything was a blur as the car spun wildly only to come to a halt thanks in no small part to a series of large pipes landing directly on the hood, thus totaling the car. (Technically buried under the pipes.) In a split second, he tried to open his door only to see his pursuer rushing over and shutting the door, preventing Travis' escape.

"Sit down!" he barked.

'That voice...' Travis recognized it without fail. 'Sergeant Cross?'

Sure enough, as his vision cleared, he saw that indeed it was Cross only something was clearly different about his longtime foe. Gone was his standard Rock Port uniform replaced with what appeared to be a tacky Hawaiian button up shirt. His medium cut Afro had apparently grown a bit longer and now in traditional cornrows. The only thing that remained the same to him was his signature scowl/half smirk combo. The realization had finally set in: Cross was no longer on the force, which also explained why he was after him despite the obvious fact that Palmont City was way out of his jurisdiction.

"It's time to settle a little score from Rockport, don't you think?" his classic authoritative tone was also ringing a bell. Or maybe that was his brain still trying to reboot itself? "Oh crap.." he muttered while clutching his head only to realize that he was bleeding from a small gash near his temple. With a dark grin, he opened the door with extreme prejudice. "Get out!" he ordered. However, just as Travis was about to comply to the man's instructions but, just as he stepped out, his vision was compromised by multiple headlights approaching the two men.

"Dammit.." Cross cursed under his breath.

Travis thought of making a run for it but one glance at Cross, and the fact that his only escape route was now blocked by the multiple cars, he remained still. From the looks of things, each car was the same shade of rose red. "What the hell is going on?"

The answer to that question was revealed as a small group of people emerged from the perfectly coordinated vehicles. The man standing in front of them all was their leader who gave off an aura of undisputed leadership. He wore Both of the men across from them recognized him and both wore their respective reactions on their sleeves. Cross, who now had his arms folded, muttered another curse under his breath before approaching the clean shaven man.

"I don't remember asking for your help, Crock." The man chastised the disgruntled former cop. "What makes you think that you can bounty hunt in Silverton without my permission?"

"It's Cross." the bounty hunter retorted; sucking his teeth in the process. "..And this guys out of town!"

The mysterious man's eyes cut towards Travis who was now stone faced.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he asked rhetorically before turning his attention, but not his gaze, towards Cross once more. "What's his bounty?"

Frustration had begun to set in as evident in his tone. "150K..."

Taking only a moment, he signalled a man wearing a black suit. "David, take care of this guy."

Cross knew what this meant. While he figured he was about to get paid, he also caught on that his vendetta with Travis would have to wait. He opted to agree with the terms and went along with the pending transaction in progress. Meanwhile, Travis glared slightly at the man who apparently knew him at one point in time.

"So, that's what you've been up to?" the man smirked just as another car pulled up to the construction zone.

As it pulled to a stop, a thigh high heeled boot appeared from behind the car door. Soon the figure emerged revealing the last person he'd expect to see.

"Trina." the man chuckled. "This should be interesting..."

Trina Vega caught sight of the dread locked young man and for a second, their eyes met. Revealing hurt, sorrow, and happiness upon seeing one another again, Trina's eyes quickly blazed with fury as she stomped towards the person who held her heart all those years ago.

"How dare you show your face here?!" she roared only to be grabbed by the man who seemed to calm her anger down in an instant. If he didn't know any better, Travis would've thought those two were together. His suspicions were confirmed when he brushed his lips against the tip of her earlobe, resulting in a nearly inaudible moan. "Alright. I'm calm, Beck."

Beck simply set her down, allowing her to stand a little ways away from the two just as Cross drove off into the night.

"I still don't know what happened the night you took off. But I do know you're into me for some serious cash." Beck's expression, while calm, left no room for debate as Travis groaned softly to himself. "Things have changed since the good old days. With all these crews battling for territory, its been too close for comfort these days and I think you're the perfect guy to help me out, given your skills." Suppressing a growl, Travis was about to snap on the guy but was cut off. "The way I see things, that's twice now that I've bailed you out of a serious jam now."

Trina continued to look away with a clear look of conflicting emotions as Beck Oliver continued to explain his case.

"Time to pay up, buddy. Trina..." he called out. "Why don't get our old pal here the ropes?"

"You can't be serious." she argued only to receive a stern look. "You know that-"

"Do you see any other course of action? We have to get him on the streets asap."

An obviously annoyed Trina nodded in agreement. Travis could only watch helplessly as Trina allowed her boyfriend to kiss her forehead before heading to her car. Travis and Beck watched until the door was shut, then returned to their stare down. "So, this is what;s been going on since I left? How long was it before you moved in on her, Beck?" The two men, while tense from the circumstance before them, kept their composure. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were waiting on an opportunity to stick it to me after that night."

"Heheh.. just don't disappoint. Not again." the cocky Beck let out a soft chuckle. "But trust me, you have it all wrong. I only managed to rescue Trina while on a trip to Rockport. I'd give you the details but..." almost on cue, the Beck and Travis heard a car horn blowing at them, with the latter walking past the former. "Looks like you have a ride to catch buddy. As he brushed past him, Travis managed to get out one last jab at his former best friend. "I know you set me up..." he said coldly before entering in the passenger's seat of Trina's red charger. Soon she pulled off into the night leaving Beck alone to look at the outskirts of Palmont City. "Good luck proving it..." he whispered as he pulled out and lit a cigarette. He took a long drag from it before grinning as his plan was now getting put into motion.

* * *

The ride through Palmont City was uneventful to say the least. It would've been considered peaceful were it not for the palpable tension between Trina and Travis. The latter of the two was nervous while the former was merely focused on the road ahead, clearly content with ignoring her passenger. Letting out a defeated sigh, he decided to shatter the silence that threatened to suffocate the two.

"Trina I-"

"We're here." she cut him off as she pulled into a parking lot. After coming to a stop, Trina Vega swiftly exited the car and headed towards what appeared to be a dealership. "Get out and let's get this over with."

Before he could say anything else, Travis soon found himself face to face with another blast from the past.

"Thanks for waiting up for us, Tori."

"No problem. I was wondering.. Travis? Is that you?"

The young man simply nodded and flashed a weak grin. "Hey, Tori. Long time no see.."

"Yeah well, Beck made these three cars available to you. Pick one then my little sister can take you off my hands."

Although nonchalant, both Tori and Travis could feel the slight venom in the older Vega's tone. Both realized that trying to explain to or convince her of anything would be a moot point as Travis walked towards the brand new cars. While the sister waited, Travis scoped out the collection and finally settled on a familiar sight. "I'll go with the Mitsubishi Lancer." Predictable was the word that came to the two sister's minds but in different contexts. Tori was grinning softly at the nostalgia of seeing the form of Travis actually there after so many years of believing him to be missing or dead. Trina's mind was focused on getting as far from her ex-boyfriend as quickly as she can. Her expression showed irritation but her mind and heart were literally in a battle with each other.

"Alright. So you've gotten your ride now. Tori, help him get set up somewhere and show him the ropes." she ordered. Soon Travis watched as his former lover drove off without a single glance in his direction. Fortunately, he had found a friend who was more than happy to see him.

"Come on." she tossed him the keys before excitedly rushing to her own car. "You've got a lot to learn before you get to racing here."

"Yeah, I see..." he hopped in the stock car and listened as the engine revved to life. Soon, he found himself following behind Tori anxious to see his new home. "...I wonder what else has changed?"


	3. Chapter 3: An Ocean of Emotions

**I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Thank you to the few who are following and have marked this story as part of their favorites list. I really am touched to see that my writing is appreciated. I was really touched by the reviews that I've received for the last two chapters that I was in the mood to post another chapter as soon as I could. I hope you all enjoy and let me know your opinions on my story. Without further ado, here is chapter three of NFS: Torque.**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 1: Enter Palmont City**

 **Chapter 3: An Ocean of Emotions**

Travis cruised down the street along with Tori, clearly distracted at the events that have unfolded over the last few days. He was released from prison and met up with his best friend Liam. He then found out that, as he expected, things had changed massively after his subsequent departure from the group. The Blacklist was once again ran by it original members while his friends left the city after being marked by Razor and the others. Unfortunately, with little to no knowledge of where they were exactly, he had no choice but to use the only clue he had to get answers.

This of course was what led Travis to Palmont, a city that surprisingly, he knew all too well. It seemed now that the past was truly catching up to him as he soon found himself traveling to this location only to wind up being chased by the man who'd been hunting him back in Rockport, only to be rescued by Beck and Trina. The "reunion" was beyond tense as he had to battle his on conflicted feelings with the two while coming to grips with the reality of owing Beck another favor. Combine that with Trina's blatant disregard for his existence, unless you count the wrath that threatened to engulf him, and the guy was truly a bundle of emotions.

Amidst these thoughts of woe and negativity, there was one good thing that resulted from everything thus far. That would be the young woman sitting in the passenger's seat. Tori Vega. The Latina woman had been a breath of fresh air in an otherwise murky experience since his release days ago. He found himself entranced by the good old days while managing to keep his eyes firmly on the road. However, like all things in life, it had to come to an end.

"Hello?" Tori's voice rang in his ear.

"Huh?"

"You didn't hear anything that I said did you?" she crossed her arms while wearing a mockingly annoyed face.

"I'm sorry, Tori. I've just had a lot on my mind since..."

Tori smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. I honestly can't blame you."

Taking his eyes off the road for a moment, Travis could now see the sadness in his friends eyes. It was something he'd seen before with her but still nothing he'd ever be used to. Back in Rockport borough, she would have that expression whenever she was away from Liam or if Razor was ever mentioned so to see it now...? It was enough to trigger his curiosity.

"What happened, Tori?" his emerald eyes returned to the road. "What happened after I disappeared that day?"

The younger Vega sister, while she could only see his profile, could literally feel the desperation emitting from him. It took a few more moments of Travis weaving through traffic until they arrived in an unfamiliar area of Palmont. "Welcome to San Juan, Travis." Tori flashed a grin that had no rival.

"San Juan? I've never heard of this area before."

"Of course not. This borough was basically a ghost town for years until about six months ago." Tori began to explain while giving him directions to a place the two would call home. It only took a few more minutes of turns until finally the two found themselves at a rather large auto garage. After pulling inside, the two got out "This part of Palmont was relatively untouched for a long time until about a year ago when crews were going around and trying to claim territories for themselves. In the end, Beck won control of Silverton, the largest borough in the city. The other three were given to the other three top drivers and their respective crews."

Tori took little time in introducing Travis to his new home. Deep down inside, she was beyond happy that Travis was back from his hiatus. She quickly showed him where his room was and finally the kitchen/living room area. Stepping past the main door into the garage, Tori happened to take notice of the fierce gaze Travis was giving off. Sure, she was one of the few who had seen her close friend like this before, but now? This time was different... There was a sense of darkness that truly sent a tensing chill down her spine.

"Travis what's wrong?" she placed a hand on his shoulder and at that precise moment, she felt the tiniest form of a shudder. "You can talk to me, you know? I know you're upset about Trina but..."

"No.. it's not about Trina. It's about Beck..." he started but turned away as anger and sorrow began to overtake him. "...he's not who you think he is."

With a confused expression, Tori grabbed his arm. "Listen, yes Beck isn't like most guys...!" her tone was much lower and there was a bit of venom behind her words at this point. Yes, she was more than happy to see him but at the same time, she was more than angry with him for leaving her sister and the gang behind. "You disappeared for three years and you just expected her to take you back with open arms?!" She never took her hazel eyes from his emerald orbs as the flames blazed. "You just left and never returned and now here we are, with her being happy with Beck now and you could potentially ruin that. Please... just leave her alone will you? I don't know why you came back but..."

Unfortunately, Travis never got to hear the rest because the younger Vega sister began walking towards the front door. "Look, I don't hate you. I'm just conflicted with our friendship and my sister. I'm sure you have your reasons for leaving but... right now, I should let you get some rest. I'll be back in a couple of days with more information regarding your debt to Beck." she turned around allowing him to see the conviction behind her eyes.

"How could you know about...?"

Tori just flashed a sad smile then turned to leave. Crossing the threshold, a breeze flew by causing her hair to blow to the side and revealed a tattoo. This particular tattoo was of four aces stacked in front of one another. Before he could stop and ask about it, Tori had shut the door behind her leaving Travis alone... or so he thought. While he contemplated what had just happened, he failed to notice that somebody else was inside of his new home.

"It's the mark of the Stacked Deck Crew."

With a gasp, he turned around to find a familiar face to match the voice. "No way..." he whispered to himself in shock.

Standing in front of him was the form of a pale skinned girl with icy blue-green eyes, and matching blue streaks in her jet black hair.

"Jade?"

"No, it's Mary Poppins, numb nut." she retorted, though with a snarky smirk on her lips as she walked towards Travis. Jade West waltzed, with an extra sway in her hips until her face was literally mere inches from his own. Despite her signature grin, Travis knew from experience not to assume anything from the Gothic girl. His cheeks flushed a rose shade of red, barely visible to most but Jade caught it. She knew that he found her attractive and didn't make it any easier for him considering she was wearing nothing but a tight purple and black, long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of purple panties with a cute skull on the back.

"J-Jade, I-I.." Travis suddenly felt the cold hard sting of Jade's hand slamming against the right side of his face. With what felt like enough force to break wood boards, Travis found himself stumbling back. His hair tie broke under the pressure of her sharp nails as another slap connected with the side of his head. "Jade! I can explain.." It was a miracle that he narrowly dodged the third slap and with a new found determination, he caught the fourth attempt and stared at the now tearful eyes of Jade West. If his earlier encounters with Trina and Tori weren't enough to break him, seeing the usually tough and snarky Jade in this condition was the straw that broke the camels back.

"How could you?" her voice broke down. "You just left and never came back... Do you know what Trina was going through? What.. I went through?"

Shame washed over the face of the young man before her. He managed to piss off not one but three women who he cared deeply about. Trina, his ex-girlfriend was between being furious and nonchalant whenever she was around him. Tori was purely happy and yet, equally upset about his reemergence... and Jade? What about Jade? Well she clearly tried to take his head off with those slaps and he was sure if he let go, she would try to hit a home run at his expense. His now free flowing dread locks hid his face but not the tears that fell down to the ground.

"Jade, I'm sorry... I really am." he finally spoke. "I never meant to hurt you or Trina or anyone else."

She simply pulled away but remained where she stood. Her expression was unreadable but she nodded for him to continue.

"I know it seemed as if I just ran away from everything but.." he steeled his resolve. He motioned for them both to sit down and began to explain. He told her about him being attacked and left for dead by the members of the Blacklist. He then went on to reveal his whereabouts after managing to recover. Gone was her anger, replaced by wonder and interest as he went on to tell her about his arrest, conviction and incarceration for the three years he was considered missing. By the time he finished, Jade had a new found respect and understanding for her friend.

"Wow. I had no idea.." she admitted. "...but wait. I get that you were shot and later arrested, but how did the cops find you so quickly?"

Once again, Travis glared at the ground with sudden fierceness that he rarely showed. "I was set-up; betrayed by someone I thought I could trust. Someone from my past that still haunts me to this day." he flashes a look at Jade that questioned her trust and sincerity. Her gaze confirmed this and he continued. "I found out something I wasn't supposed to. After I left that night, I was challenged to a race by two riders. Naturally, I accepted and took out my anger on the road by winning. The two cars then kept going so I chased them down to get my money from them only to wind up getting side swiped. Seeing how they were gunning for me, and my ride was totaled, I ran as fast as I could to one of the safe house in Camden...

* * *

 **Camden Beach- 3 years ago**

Travis was severely limping towards the safe house in hopes that he could attain refuge inside. The vehicles chased him down until he managed to lose them when he darted into the alley and cut through the construction zone. Getting hit, he sustained a gash near his temple, multiple lacerations on his left arm & leg, and his hip was severely bruised. He was losing a lot of blood but that wouldn't stop him from reaching his destination. He figured that whoever was trying to hunt him down could potentially know where he was going and he assumed right as he hid behind some bushes near the pier. He watched intently as the first car, a silver Ford Mustang, drove past in the pouring rain followed by a candy red Mercedes Benz. After seeing them pass the safe house, he ran, or rather limped down the walkway until he finally arrived made it.

"Someone please be at home." he pleaded to no one in general.

Travis grit his teeth as he slammed him fist into the door but nobody answered. The stinging sensations of pain and frustration rang through his body. Desperation began to taunt him as he resorted to slamming his already injured body into the front door. It managed to pay off as he collapsed inside. Content for only a moment, he remembered the circumstances that brought him to this location and swiftly shut the door leaving him plunged in the darkness of the garage. He called out in case anyone was still inside but got no response. He was safe... for now.

"Okay Travis. Now we gotta find a place to rest or something. I just need to find a light switch and I'll be able to rest for a bit." he continued to feel around for a light source only to bump into something hard. With a groan, he surmised that he was in someone's room. Travis smiled to himself as he flipped a switch, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim light overhead. Inspecting his surroundings, he realized that he was in Beck's room, triggering a twinge of concern for his friend. That moment however, was short lived as something happened to catch his eye. He shut the door quietly and made his way to the small dresser and saw what appeared to be a police badge. Trying to make sense of what he was seeing, he saw the name that justified his fears.

"Beck Oliver?" Curiosity got the better of him and he went through the drawers to find documents and files on not only himself but everyone in the group. Beck was either crooked or undercover. He literally had them in the palm of his hand. Travis couldn't risk the cops coming down on his friends so he swiftly began to rip the documents to shreds. "Beck, how could you betray us?"

"You can't betray a side you were never on." Turning around, Travis felt the searing pain of a bullet piercing his leg. A cry of agony rang throughout the building as he crashed into the floor. "You just couldn't keep your nose where it doesn't belong, could you." The voice was none other than Beck Oliver or Officer Beck Oliver as his badge revealed. "I was hoping you would just keep racing and help me out but.. it seems that you've left me no choice." he then lifted his .45 revolver at the grunting Travis as the sound of a far off door opening was heard. The traitor grinned slyly before mouthing the words: "You owe me.." before pulling the trigger.

* * *

Back in the present day, Jade was staring at Travis, mouth agape at what she was hearing.

"I barely remember much after that. I woke up in the hospital cuffed to one of the rails. Once my injuries were treated, I was convicted of my past and sentenced to seven years imprisonment with that possibility of time served for good behavior after the second year due to my age at the time of the crime. I actually got out a few days ago and was told by Liam to come here if I wanted to set things right."

Jade was stunned to hear the truth about Beck but more because she was usually so good at figuring these things out. Beck was usually predictable but now it seemed that he was truly a few steps ahead of everyone. "But now he's here in Palmont City as a street racer, ruling Silverton. But how is he able to do all of this? Could he be still working with Rockport P.D.?"

"I don't think so..." Travis took a moment to think. "He would be out of his jurisdiction here though. He probably retired and attained immunity for himself."

Seeing her friend stressed out like this was beyond her comprehension. The hell he'd gone through all this time, Jade knew he needed comfort and more importantly, support. With a soft smile, she took his hand and led him to his new room. She then turned the lights down and hugged him tightly. Aside from her own ex, Travis was one of the rare few to see Jade in a state of vulnerability. Returning the embrace, he felt her begin to calm down. He smiled and whispered. "Thank you, Jade."

Then she pulled away from him, still retaining her smile. Her arms rested on his shoulders as their eyes locked onto one another's. Blue and green. Ice and Earth... Jade and Travis knew the truth. They always knew that Travis loved Trina and still did. But, Jade also knew another secret the the young man confirmed back in Rockport when they first met. Trina was his first love, but Jade was a very close second. No, she wasn't a replacement or consolation prize but truly someone with whom Travis felt he could possibly lead a good life with. She was a strongly in his heart just as much as Trina was and that's what haunted her when the two were together. But now, here he was with her. He was alive. He was single and for the night... if only for the night, he was hers.

"Jade I-"

She shushed him with her soft lips pressed onto his. His attempt to speak was reduced to nothing more than just barely audible moans as her tongue slipped into his mouth. She then removed her shirt along with her bra, giving her crush a clear view of her figure from the waist up. Her pale tone somehow was a perfect contrast to his chocolate skin as they both fell back onto his bed. Her raven hair shrouded their faces from view as Jade, who was usually rough around the edges, now was as gentle as a lamb. The night was filled not with the sounds of hot and heavy sex, however. It was actually capitalized by the bliss of appreciation, love, adoration, reciprocation, and passion that sent the two in a state of contentment and peace.

They laid down together with Jade huddled under the larger Travis. She traced her finger along his prison sleeve, simply imagining what he had to endure to ensure his survival. Her heart broke as the thoughts began to overwhelm her as she shivered in his arms. He instinctively intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her closer to him, letting her feel his heartbeat. He knew that he loved Trina Vega but, Jade had also found a way to creep into his heart as well. From what he saw, she was through with him as a person, let alone romantically. He also loved Jade too but until now, was never able to explore those feelings. Now that he was officially single, Travis Thomas would give himself the chance to live life. Guilt tried to worm its way in his mind but found no home as Jade moaned softly while nuzzling his chest softly.

"Just so you know..." she yawned. "...Vega never finished explaining to you what's been going on in this city over the past year and a half."

"Oh, right... it wouldn't be good if she returned to find us like this, would it?"

Jade nearly giggled at the worry and, more importantly, disappointment in his voice. She turned over and exited his room leaving him with a view of her swaying butt. "I'll be back." he heard in the distance. He sat up and remembered that he was still in his jogging pants. He shrugged and began to remove them before Jade returned. Unfortunately, (depending on how you view the situation) he would find himself under the watchful eyes of the pale skinned beauty, who simply smirked as she enjoyed the sight before her. "Nice butt."

"Dammit..." he muttered to himself just as he managed to the remove the last leg. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to see that your time away had done wonders for you."

"Well it's nice to see that someone appreciates my hard work." he chuckled softly but then raised an eyebrow. "So what's up?"

Jade simply shrugged. "Nothing but the ceiling." she walked back to him to see his face locked in concern. "Relax, I texted Vega and told her that I would fill you in so she's guaranteed not to come back until a few days from now. Besides, she used my key to get inside earlier so she'd have to knock in order to get inside or use Beck's key which takes time for him to get here. So don't worry okay?"

Planting another kiss, Jade felt herself being lifted with ease by the object of her affection. Over the past few years, she filled out in the hips and thigh areas which was the reason for her surprised expression.

"Alright, we agree that you'll fill me in tomorrow. Now can we get some shut eye, Jade?"

Jade rolled her eyes but in a playful manner as Travis set her down and planted one more kiss before cuddling her again. The two drifted off into a deep slumber unaware that their heartbeats were truly in sync. For the night, nothing else mattered. Trina's fury. Tori's allegiance. Beck's treachery. All of those things take a back seat in the mind of Travis Thomas. For Jade, she was no longer bound by her past. Trina, who she always resented for various reasons was an afterthought as she sunk into the warm embrace of unconsciousness.

"Goodnight Travis."

"Goodnight Jade."

* * *

 **Okay Author's Note time...**

 **For starters I did not plan this ending the way that it turned out. When I started writing this chapter, I intended to follow the story exactly how it happened in the game. I wanted to put Darius (the actual antagonist in NFS: Carbon) in this and the add the Victorious cast as support characters. However, as I continued writing, it led to Beck taking the role of Darius as the leader of the Stacked Deck crew. Trina's role thus far is exactly where I envisioned it to be. On the other hand, Tori and Jade were not originally supposed to be introduced in this chapter. Robbie was supposed to be introduced taking the role of Neville but as I kept writing, I figured that it would be too predictable so that's where Tori came in and her conflicted feeling between her friendship with Travis and her loyalty to Trina and Beck will be a major point leading into the major plot. Beck's link to his current role will be touched on a lot throughout the progression of the story. Finally Jade... My original idea was that if Jade were to be introduced, it would be a minor role in the chapter that would be touched on later on.**

 **But, I wanted to create some form of tension and something that seemed more intriguing as we get into the major points of the story. In Most Wanted, Travis' character is known to have strong feelings for Trina but what wasn't explored much was his connection to Jade. The two would have a love/hate relationship based on private vs public feelings. Jade is in a relationship just like Travis so that tension wasn't touched on at all. I want to give off an unpredictable feeling throughout this fiction. The rest of the gang will be brought in as well and hopefully you all will continue to support this story. I'm really having fun writing this and your love and comments are always great motivation to me.**

 **Goodnight everyone! This is KenshinIchimaru signing off.**


	4. Chapter 4: You'll Be Under My Wheels

**I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Thank you to the few who are following and have marked this story as part of their favorites list. I really am touched to see that my writing is appreciated. I was really touched by the reviews that I've received for the last two chapters that I was in the mood to post another chapter as soon as I could. I hope you all enjoy and let me know your opinions on my story. Without further ado, here is chapter three of NFS: Torque. Some relationships will be explored and others mentioned. I hope you all continue to enjoy this fic and if anyone wants to be a beta reader/editor or just want to give me some constructive criticism drop a review or pm.**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 1: Enter Palmont City**

 **Chapter 4: You'll Be Under My Wheels**

 **Silverton**

Beck sat at a cafe, lost in his thoughts. First he'd received word that Cross, his former superior, was in his city. Before he could even address that, news that other crews were getting more and more greedy despite the 'fair' deal he cut with them. To cap it all off, a ghost from his past shows up by the name of Travis. He thought that he was rid of the only person who would expose him back in Rockport. He went in undercover to get information on the Blacklist and even staged his capture at the hands of Razor. Cat, his partner at the time was not supposed to be involved but he kept going in order to fully infiltrate and subsequently bring down the Blacklist for good. He was doing well until found himself the 'victim' of corruption.

Razor had figured out that Beck wasn't just another street racer and in exchange for his freedom, he would give Beck everything he needed so long as he would look the other way. Beck agreed and soon found himself living a lie. He would feed the force false information about Razor while selling out his friends. However, as time went on, he ran into two roadblocks. The first was Cross who, like Beck, was looking to bring down the Blacklist in order to further his career. At first, it was simply a race to bring the racers to justice but all of that changed after his and Razor's agreement. Cross was beginning to link him to the criminal gang so he decided that his rival had to go.

The second obstacle was Travis with whom his connection was a bit more complicated. When he was his adoptive sister arrived in the city, he liked the guy. But unknown to the new guy, his success was a major contribution to Beck's failure. Razor wanted him gone but it would be difficult without revealing his secret. So he waited for an opportunity to rid himself of the gifted racer while retaining his guise. It came in the form of Trina, whose curiosity opened the door for him. The bitter argument between the his current girlfriend and the current bane of his existence, set into motion the plan that, at the time, would rid him of Travis Thomas for good.

The race.

The crash.

The hunt.

It was all Beck.

It wasn't until a few hours ago, that he found out that Travis was basically in his backyard. He thought that he would rot in Jail or at least stay as far away from him. Fortunately, he was able to think on the fly by using Travis' past to ensure his own future. Seeing Trina's harsh rejection towards Travis was just the icing on the cake. Soon, he would be the king of Palmont and he'll use Travis to get there.

"Beck?" a familiar voice dragged him from his dark thoughts.

Looking up, Beck saw Trina sitting across from him. Seeing her frustration, he smiled softly.

"Hey, babe. I see you're back.. How'd it go?"

"It was whatever." she responded nonchalantly. "I'm still upset that I was the one who had to take him to the drop off point. You could've taken him yourself.."

The air of irritation was palpable. Beck could see that she was struggling to keep her emotions in check and in a weird way, he liked it. He knew that she was in love with Travis still but he only needed her to complete his goal, grant it, he did have feelings for her that developed after the two left Rockport behind. "Trina, I did that to test your loyalty."

Eyes widening, her face paled several shades. "Beck I told you before, I'm in your corner."

"I know." he stood to his feet and walked towards her. Her nervous aura could be felt as he took her hand. "But, actions speak louder than words, Trina. I needed to see just how loyal you were." the Latina felt herself being pulled close to her boyfriend. "I'm pleased to see that you've exceeded my expectations."

As the two shared a soft kiss, their moment was interrupted by the footsteps of one Tori Vega. A satisfied Beck gave his girl one final kiss on the cheek before heading out of the cafe. Tori felt uneasy and her sister could tell. Both were outfitted in beige trench coats over their clothes symbolizing to everyone that they were members of the Stacked Deck crew. The duo ignored the murmurs and stared at one another; one's eyes showed defiance while desperation filled the other's.

* * *

The next morning, Travis allowed a yawn to escape as his sense tried to adjust to his surroundings. The peace of a small breeze flowing through the window calmed his mind. The few rays of sunlight warmed his face. He began to stretch his arms, noticing then that he was alone in his bed. Groggy and confused, he slowly rose up and inspected the room. There was no sign of Jade West anywhere...

"Maybe I dreamed it all." he clutched his head, pushing his locks back.

"Do you always dream about a sexy Goth chick in your bed?"

Needless to say, he found himself looking up at the half naked form of his visitor. "Do you always disappear without a trace after a romantic evening?" he asked, a sly smirk gracing his lips.

Jade returned his expression and crossed her arms under her now bra covered breasts. "I had to go to the bathroom. But we have more important matters to discuss."

Nodding, Travis got out of the bed and quickly got cleaned up. Jade decided to do the same once her roommate exited the bathroom. She enjoyed the soothing water rushing down her body but wasted little time to get clean and dressed. Once she was outfitted in her standard black skirt, black leggings, black top and matching combat boots, she returned to find him in the garage area.

He was standing next to his stock Mitsubishi Lancer, Jade could hear his frustrated groan. She held back a giggle before approaching the clearly disgruntled Travis. It was obvious that he was none too pleased with having to start over. "You'll have plenty of time to sulk over your ride." Jade interrupted his sulking. "But, like I said last night, we need to to discuss what's going on." She took his hand, leading him to the make shift living room. The two then took a seat, Jade on the couch and Travis in a nearby chair. "From what I learned from Vega, you know that there are multiple crews in the city looking to claim territory. Aside from this borough, four areas belong to crews. Downtown is controlled by Kenji's Bushido crew. They're pretty good in terms of control with their tuner cars on tight turns. The T.F.K. crew are the top speed kings. Led by Wolf, they rule the Fortuna district with Exotic cars. Kempton is held down by a chick named Angie and her 21st Street crew. She loves to get up close and personal with her muscle cars and if you don't watch out, she'll leave you at the starting line."

Travis, though focused, was processing everything. Jade took notice of this and decided to finish up.

"Obviously, you know that... Beck watches over Silverton. It's the biggest borough and as I'm sure you've noticed, he's well rounded in the skills of the other crew bosses."

"Yeah, considering I've seen those skills firsthand." he grumbled. "Now, about paying him back.. We'll have to get me some races soon so I can get some cash right away." The determination in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by Jade who resisted the urge to bite her lip. "The faster I get paid, the faster Beck gets off of my back."

"Alright then. We'll start tonight with some simple races so you can get that stock ride fixed up." she nudged him in the ribs playfully which he responded by softly poking her side. "In the meantime, we'll get you started with forming a crew."

"A crew?" confusion was evident in his voice.

"Yeah. I already mentioned about the big four crews but there are a multitude of smaller crews that vie for small territories throughout the boroughs owned by the bigger crews. You'll need help if you plan to get this over with..."

"You make a good point. I wouldn't mind you joining up with me for a race."

"Well since you requested..." Jade pushed her body against the now blushing Travis' "...I'll be your wing-girl."

She then placed a soft kiss on his cheek and then left out of the garage with an extra sashay in her walk. She kept his attention until her form disappeared around the corner. When his brain finally reloaded, he focused on the Mitsubishi Lancer in front of him with a fierce gaze. He'd made up his mind the moment he ran into Beck. He wouldn't be content with just paying him back...

* * *

That evening, Tori decided to go for a drive to clear her head. Conflicted feelings plagued her thoughts as she tried to make sense of everything that happened over the last 24 hours. Why was Beck dating Trina in the first place? Why didn't she speak up about it? Where had Travis been and why return now? Why did she snap on him last night? These questions and more banged inside her head like a cup of dice as she made a right at a stop light and pulled up in an old parking garage. She continued until she reached the top level where two other vehicles sat near the far end under the twilight sky.

Pulling her vehicle to a stop, she waited for some form of signal to clarify if the two were friend or strangers. Sure enough, the closest car flashed its front lights five times in six second intervals. That was the code Tori had been looking for as she let out a sigh of exasperation. "Thank goodness." She mumbled to herself. After settling next to the two other cars, the farthest one being a silver Mercedes Benz and the nearest a pure green and black Dodge Neon, she stepped on wearing her traditional trench coat over a pink tank top and jeans. The other two drivers, one male, one female, stepped out and the trio walked over to the ledge surveying the street below.

"So.." she started. "...it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"You know the answer to that, Tori." the response, coming from the male, was tough though lacking venom. "It's been months since we've heard from you and that's the first thing you can say to us?" The young man was rather tall, standing at 6'4", and well built. He sported long dreadlocks that flowed down to the middle of his back.

Tori, though hurt, never took her eyes off of the street down below. "I'm sorry, but it's difficult with Beck always being paranoid all the time. Plus, he's had me running 'errands' for him throughout Palmont to support his bid for power."

"That's all good and all but let's get to it." the young woman interrupted, patience no where to be found in her tone. "Why did you call us after all this time?"

While there was no problem between Tori and the male, tension was clearly evident between her and his partner. The young woman had caramel colored skin and her brown hair was shaved on side while the other half was styled in a lock/mohawk combo. Over her left eye sat an eyebrow ring while the right corner of her bottom lip sported two smaller rings. Her light brown skin accentuated her fiery auburn eyes that matched her temper. Tori had to take a moment to steel her resolve before continuing.

"I asked you two to come because..." she bit her lip. "...We found him." Both flashed looks at Tori Vega, one of confusion and the other, frustration. "Look, he's in a race right now that'll end here. Just wait until he passes this light and you'll see what I mean." The Latina made her way to her candy red Dodge Viper. "Just promise me that you won't approach him yet. He's indebted to Beck right now and he doesn't need any distractions while trying to pay him back."

Before either of the two could inquire further, the car screeched as it disappeared down into the lower levels of the parking garage.

"What was that about?" the African-American man leaned against the ledge, watching as Tori sped off down the vacant street.

The girl huffed in annoyance. "Who knows? Tori always likes to speak in riddles just to piss me off." she ran her fingers through her hair trying to keep calm. "I don't see why you won't let me deck her one good time across her perfect little cheekbones."

The male chuckled softly. He then reached out and pulled the young woman into his strong arms. "Now, we both know why. She's still a good friend of mine, even if she's gone down a dark path. Besides..." he caught her chin between his index finger and thumb, bringing her lips in contact with his own. "...I'm sure whoever this person is, Tori believes he's important to the both of us. So let's just relax and find out who our mystery person is." He leaned in and kissed her neck eliciting an involuntary moan.

"Andre, stop that.." she giggled softly before capturing his lips with her own. "You know what that does to me."

"Calm you down?" he interrupted only to receive a punch to his arm for his troubles.

"I'm serious, Andre. I don't like when Tori gives us a bunch of pieces expecting us to just figure it out as we go along. Between her and her sister, I'd rather they both crash off the side of Carbon Canyon..."

Andre's eyes widened in shock. "Ryanna! That's dark even for you."

Ryanna didn't change her stance. "I mean it.. Ever since we ditched Rockport, I've felt nothing but pure hatred for that bitch, Trina."

"I know.. You blame her for that night right?" she nodded without a word; her face covered by her hair. "What about Tori? What's your beef with her?"

Ryanna continued to stare at the pavement as tears welled up. "She of all people knew right from wrong and yet.." she bit her lip.

Andre was used to moments like this. He knew his girlfriend had a vulnerable side that she hid very well from others. Without fail, he wrapped his arms around her as she silently sobbed on his chest. Anybody else would consider her unstable but to him, she never coped with her loss. "It's okay.." he whispered in her ear. Seconds later he could feel her breathing slow to a steady pace. "...I'm hear for you."

The two just stood there in one another's embrace until the sounds of speeding cars echoed in the night. "Seems like it's time." he turned his head to find four vehicles in a dead heat. Two were from a second rate crew called the Rotors, and the third was a silver charger with a purple lotus on the hood. The couple quickly recognized it as Jade's car which prompted their curiosity even more. "If that's Jade, then who's that?" Ryanna asked while eyeing the stock Mitsubishi Lancer. Her heart instantly dropped as she watched the racers near the finish line. The two rotor members continued to hound the unknown driver, ramming him on both sides.

Jade shifted into the right lane as the rotor member on the left was going in for another hit. She bum rushed the tail end and zoomed past as the driver swerved into a fire hydrant, totaling the car. "Keep going." was all she said to her partner while hitting her nitro reserves. Soon she was was neck and neck with the other two and in a stunning turn of events, hopped off of the gas and trailed behind the remaining crew member's ride. "Push into her and I'll take care of the rest. We have to time it perfectly or we'll lose."

On the roof top of the garage, Andre and Ryanna watched closely to see the conclusion of this race. They watched as one of the members crashed and were intrigued to learn the victor of this contest. Soon, they watched as the purple RX-7 began to pull away despite the heavy pressure from the Lancer. Unknown to everyone, Jade was hoping for this. Once she saw enough room, she rammed into the tail end of the Lancer. Despite the significant damage, it had a domino effect as the car crashed further into the RX-7 causing it to shift sideways until it collided with a street light effectively taking it our of the race.

"What the hell?" Andre muttered as they witnessed the wreckage. Fortunately, both the Lancer and Charger managed to cross the end of the street; the latter crossing first. "That was insane." he clenched his fists. "At least they won... I guess."

However, Ryanna didn't care about the no name rotor drivers. Her mind was firmly on the identity of the driver in the now dented car. Jade stepped out first and helped the other driver out of his vehicle. Although they were far up, she could still make out certain details on this guy. He was brown skin, had dreadlocks, and had the exact demeanor of someone she knew. "It couldn't be..." she whispered. "...Travis?" her voice broke a little at the idea of the man below could be someone dear to her. Andre wanted to object but it wasn't until they noticed the two hug that he too suspected the same thing.

Unfortunately, they didn't have long to ponder the idea as sirens rang in their ears. "Let's go, Ryanna." he called out. She turned to him, clearly upset but did as she was told. Jade and the figure they thought to be Travis had the same idea as they disappeared into the night. Ryanna and Andre managed to escape the area just as the Palmont police arrived to inspect the damage.

* * *

 **San Juan**

Instead of going directly home, Jade led Travis to another safe house located nearby. Once inside, they left the cars there and headed back home to get some sleep. It was frustrating during that race considering the Mitsubishi Lancer didn't have nitro yet. They nearly lost but in the end, Jade's plan was just enough to squeak out the win.

"That was insane!" she hopped on his back. "The way those two crashed was wicked."

"I'm just glad we got the win." he muttered.

Jade's good mood diminished and she hopped off of his back just as they entered the garage. She knew why he was upset and it wasn't because of the state of his car. It was still the state of his heart. Every race won brought him closer to paying Beck back for bailing him out of the situation with Cross. Unfortunately, it was a constant reminder of what he lost. He walked straight to his room unaware that Jade could read him like a book.

"Travis..." she walked him and hugged him from behind. She could feel him slightly trembling as if he was holding in every bit of pain while giving him comfort. Somehow the two found themselves sharing his bed again. This time though, his head was resting on her lap. No words were spoken. None were needed as Jade stroked his head lovingly. There was no denying that aside from Trina, Jade was the only other woman he had an intimate relationship that allowed him to drop his defenses. "I wish I could take your pain away. You don't deserve the hell you're going through."

Travis then sat up and gave Jade a hug in response. "Jade, you've done so much already." his voice was a little raspy but otherwise was nearly back to normal. "I'm glad it's you that's seeing me like this. I don't think I could trust anyone else at this point." Soon, fatigue began to set in as Jade and Travis turned away to undress. They had locked eyes again. Just like the first night, Azure and Emerald captivated each other. This time, they tried to focus on other things besides each other.

"I could always go to... my room." the pale skinned beauty spoke up.

Turning around, Travis grinned softly. "I um... I'd rather you stay here. You shouldn't have to sleep alone."

Now it was Jade's turn to grin as she placed her clothes on the night stand then crawled under the covers. Travis followed suit and soon they were cuddled up once again. Neither spoke a word as sleep dragged their consciousness into a slumber filled vacation. Both knew what was happening, but at this point, was there a need to resist this? In Travis' mind, he took into account Trina's decision to be with Beck, her attitude towards him, and even how far she went to act as if he didn't exist. Maybe it was time to move on?

Jade too was conflicted. After leaving Rockport, her then boyfriend, Ambro, and her broke off their engagement after it was discovered that he was actually involved in a terrorist cell bent on destroying certain key areas in the country. After that, she didn't bother trying to date unless it was to get a good lay. Now here she was free to explore her feeling for Travis and yet.. she felt off. Deep down inside, she liked Travis and wanted to be with him but the only thing stopping her was his connection to Trina. 'I'm so gonna kick Vega's ass if I get the chance.' she thought while turning over so that he was now spooning her. In the end, they both felt it would be best to let things progress at its own pace. Once their respective minds were made up, they finally conceded to sleep.

* * *

 **Downtown**

A red 2014 Dodge Viper cruised down the nearly empty street. It was about 4 am and the curvy Latina was just eager to get out and either race or sort her thoughts out. To be honest, she preferred the former of the two. She passed by a local mini mart in hopes that some dumb racer was eager to lose the contents in their wallet. Unfortunately the roads were bare and Trina pulled into a vacant lot that oversaw the crystal clear lake just five miles away. She stepped out of the car and leaned her body against the custom hood. She had been taking various pills in order to calm her nerves but this time, they proved ineffective.

"I wonder... was this supposed to be, Travis?" she asked nobody in particular.

"We could very well ask you the same question."


	5. Chapter 5: Into the Night

**First off, I'd love to say thank you to all of those who've checked out this story. I must apologize for the delay in updating. I was set to update this nearly a week ago but, late at night, I managed to add more and more to this and then I couldn't stop writing until everything was put into place here. To my dear fans of this fiction, I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and reviewing each chapter. I promise to update very soon once I relax from this chapter. It appears to be the longest chapter (in terms of word count) I've written thus far. I hope you enjoy it and remember to review with your thoughts and opinions.**

 **Also I'd like to also say that this story is expected to be a long one. I dont know how many chapters I plan to write but I can promise you that my intentions are to make this as long as possible.**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 1: Enter Palmont City**

 **Chapter 5: Into the Night**

Trina turned around to see Andre and Ryanna, the latter who was none too pleased to be anywhere near one of the Vega sisters. The duo stepped towards Trina, whose nerves were truly out of wack now, only for the former to stand directly in front of her. Andre started to say something but stopped when he noticed Ryanna had decided to continue on towards a small gate, where she leaned against the fence. Breathing a sigh of relief, Andre took solace in the fact that his girlfriend decided to ignore Trina's existence rather than start another battle in the ongoing war between her and the sisters. Trina was so preoccupied that she forgot the dark skinned man was mere inches from her.

"Trina, we know he's here.." Andre's voice broke her from her thoughts.

"I don't know what you're talking about.." she replied in a carefree tone.

Andre, who glanced over at his frustrated girlfriend, turned his attention back to Trina Vega. He knew that she was trying remain nonchalant about the situation, but at the risk of things escalating beyond his control, he was willing to overcome his typically relaxed demeanor to get the answers he sought.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Trina!"

"A-Andre I-"

"No, you know as well as I do that you and Beck know something about Travis' appearance here in Palmont." He interjected. "You used to love the guy and yet now, here you are literally trying to hide the fact he's returned. And for what? Pleasing Beck?"

Trina could only look at the ground as Andre's words hit close to home.

"Back in Rockport, you two were damn near inseparable but now, you're acting like he doesn't exist and for what reason Trina?" He practically roared. "Now look at you.. You don't even live your own life without his permission."

The look in Andre's eyes left no room for rebuttal as his words weighed heavy on the young woman's conscious. Ryanna had turned around at this point with interest flashing behind her eyes. The circumstances surrounding her brother's reappearance along with Andre's intervention were enough for her entertainment. Unfortunately, the fun would end once she watched the Latina brushing past her boyfriend. Rage began to rush through her veins at the sight of the woman she'd grown to hate literally began walking away without another word. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to do anything as Andre once again spoke up.

"Trina, at least tell us where he is... for Ryanna."

She simply froze for a moment; she was about to head into her car and drive off when she heard him call for her. To make matters worse, she turned to see the stone cold look from Andre and the surprising gaze of desperation in Ryanna's eyes. "Fine..." she huffed half-heartedly. "Listen, he's currently staying in the San Juan district. It's a neutral territory so here's the address." Reaching into the vehicle, Trina grabbed a pen and paper from the glove compartment and scribbled the information needed. She handed the small note to the young man and without another word, sped off into the night leaving the couple to wonder what they would expect. "1538 Payne Ave. I know that place." He took a moment to think before they hopped in their respective vehicles.

Travis wiped some oil from his forehead after changing various parts under the hood. He let out a grunt as he tried to place a new transmission in the Lancer. Across from him, Jade was working on new designs for her tattoo shop. Suddenly a thought ran through her mind; a sly grin followed soon after.

"Hey, you never told me about that tat on your arm."

She heard a powerful laugh come from under the car much to her annoyance. Her icy eyes shined with a new fire only to find him wiping off more oil from his arms and hands. A frown formed on her lips as he threw the towel over his shoulder. His eyes then trailed down to his right arm where the yakuza style wolf tattoo rested.

"Would you believe me if I said that this was my badge of honor?" His tone was a bit darker but still he retained his smile. "Back in Rockport State Prison, I had to fight day in and day out to survive. I was alone and angry all the time. Day after day, the same routine only seemed to solidify my mundane existence." His eyes darkened and Jade could tell he was fighting with something internally. "The only thing that kept me going was getting back to… her but I guess that was time well wasted…"

Each word appeared to weigh heavier on him as he spoke. The Goth's scowl softened as he took a breath and continued. "Eventually, I ran into a prison gang and soon I was indoctrinated as a member inside the walls." He let out a forced laugh. "That's where I got this tattoo…"

He attempted to walk past but was stopped when Jade grabbed his arm. It was a good thing that the two had grown closer as the days went by or else she would've punched him for getting her to this point of intimacy. The two stared into each other's eyes for what felt like eternity only for the gazes to be broken when a tap was heard on the garage door. Travis suppressed a low growl but nodded for Jade to answer the door. "I'll be back..." he whispered to Jade as the knocks seemed to get louder. This time, Jade herself barely suppressed a growl as she walked past Travis' car only to hear a familiar voice.

"Hey! Jade are you in there? It's Andre!"

His response was a groan and he soon found himself the main target of her annoyance.

"What do you want?!" she asked through gritted teeth at her now cowering friend.

Andre swiftly ducked behind his girlfriend who rolled her eyes before approaching Jade. The two stared off with one another for a few minutes before a sigh escaped the lips of the punk girl. "Jade…" she started. "...we know he's here. Please..." Tears threatened to spill out. "…I need to see him." Ryanna watched as Jade nodded and stepped to the side, allowing the couple to enter her home. The couple looked around the garage but, despite scanning the entire room, they found that Travis was no where in sight. This wouldn't deter Ryanna though as she continued deeper into the house. Unfortunately, no matter where she looked, she just couldn't seem to locate Travis. She checked the main room, the bedrooms, and even the bathroom and yet there was no sign of him anywhere. Andre hugged his girlfriend as tears streamed down her face while Jade just looked around confused.

"I don't get it.. he was just.."

"Hey Jade..." Travis walked through the back door unaware of the company in his home. "...I'm about to head out for a bite. Do you want... Anything?"

As Travis looked up from his phone and nearly fell out. His jaw dropped as the young woman rushed into him. A loud thud echoed in the room as the siblings crashed onto the hard floor. The remaining friends decided to take their exit, allowing Ryanna and Travis to reconcile.

"Big brother..." she whispered amidst tears streaming down her face.

* * *

The rain crashed brutally against Tori's window as the Latina entered the bedroom of her luxury apartment, draped in only a towel. She let out a yawn as she began drying her hair. For the first time in a while, she was relieved to take some time from racing and focus on herself. She then put on her bra and panties before grabbing her favorite book. Unfortunately, her reading would be postponed as she heard a knock on her door. She rolled her eyes before getting up. She made her way through the hallway grumbling the entire time until she arrived at the front door.

"Whoever this is at the door is going to catch my..."

She opened the door only to see someone she'd rather not see this night. His smile was calm and yet unnerving. His piercing gaze left her nearly petrified and his smirk sent shivers throughout her body. Despite knowing the person standing at her doorstep for so long, Tori found herself inwardly cowering from the figure before her.

"Aren't you going to let me in, sunshine?" he asked in a silky tone.

Tori trembled a moment before stepping aside, allowing the man to enter her living room. He took a moment to inspect his surroundings before hopping on the couch. His dark brown hair hid his most of his face as he turned on the television. Sounds of various voices echoed throughout the apartment while and yet the tension caused by their awkward silence towards one another. After nearly half an episode of some sitcom had passed by the time one of them even decided speak up.

"You mind telling me what you're doing here this late at night?" Tori crossed her arms in irritation.

The young man simple chuckled.

"Tori, you know know as well as I do why I'm here. Between you and your sister, I always took you for the smart one."

At that moment, she knew what was about to happen. It had been done many times before that Tori had become used to it at this point. The long nights, that dirty feeling she'd get during these nights, the awkwardness she'd feel after it was all over, it all would culminate in her nearly choking on her own vomit once she gets a good look at herself in the morning. Soon, she found herself lying on the bed with her "guest's" body draped over her naked frame. Soon she felt the ever familiar feeling of penetration but there was nothing enjoyable about this. She gasped sharply as he began to slowly thrust his hips forward until he was buried completely inside of her.

There was no pleasure.

She didn't enjoy herself in the least.

She let out moans that, while appeared pleasurable, were just sounds that came from the motions.

Fortunately, she was able to shift her mind to other things...

'It'll all be over soon...' she mentally chanted.

* * *

The storm quickly progressed through Palmont as Andre and Jade watched the rain come crashing down on the asphalt. The two thought it best to leave Travis and Ryanna to catch up with one another in private. While the siblings conversed, the two best friends decided to do the same.

"So... what have you two been up to since we split?"

Andre simply chuckled bitterly to himself.

"It's been a trip to say the least. We've been staying in the downtown region ever since we arrived here. To be honest, it's been weird since then..." Andre groaned softly before returning his gaze to the pouring rain. "Back in Rockport, we were all so close. But then Travis disappeared and everything went to hell. Ryanna became so distant and you completely went off the radar after a few months. No one's seen Robbie and, according to Beck, Cat didn't make it out of Rockport. Tori and Trina have been working with Beck in Silverton with the latter currently dating him. I have no idea why or how that even happened."

At this point, Jade's body had tensed up as she let out a low growl that, thankfully, went unnoticed by her longtime friend. It was no secret that she and Trina never saw eye to eye, but it remained a closely guarded secret about her feelings for Travis. It was bitter sweet knowing that her emotions were reciprocated only due to the unfortunate events in the past. She fought back tears as her heart sank from the realization of her greatest fear. She was opening up completely to Travis and the idea of Trina coming back and taking away the one person she loved.

Jade was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the door open behind her revealing her lover.

"Hey, Andre? Ryanna fell asleep not too long ago..." he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess we both lost track of time."

Andre simply stood to his feet and placed a hand on Travis' shoulder.

"Don't sweat it... she deserves a good rest after reuniting with her big brother." Jade allowed a smirk to grace her lips as she looked on. "I'll just pull the car into the garage and take her home."

"No." Both guys turned to look at Jade questionably. "Listen, I'm not thrilled to say this, but it wouldn't be fair to kick you too out into the oncoming storm."

"Thanks Jade. But I'm sure we can make it home before the full brunt of the storm-"

Andre was cut off by the crashing of thunder and the flash of lightning. The already pouring rain came down so hard that it literally blocked their vision of the local pizza shop across the street with only blurred colors remaining.

"You two can take my room and I'll crash with Travis for the night." Jade retorted with a matter-of-fact tone along with her signature smirk. "Just be sure not to stain my sheets or you'll get a close and personal look at my scissor collection."

The porcelain skinned girl hummed softly to herself as she stepped inside hers and Travis' home leaving the two to just watch her blankly.

* * *

Later in the night, the storm had let up leaving only light traces of rain along with the fading rumble of thunder every so often. The usually content and carefree Travis decided to go for a walk. He grabbed his a black sleeveless hoodie and quietly tip toed out through the front door. As he ventured throughout the borough, he allowed himself to calmly take in his surroundings. The sounds of cars sloshing through the puddles, the rather loud conversations from a small group of drunks outside of a seedy bar, and even the cold droplets that gently touched his skin were enough for him to get lost in his thoughts. However, his thoughts would soon drag him to the dark corners of his mind.

First, he was found and confronted by former Sergeant turned bounty hunter, Cross only to wind up indebted to a former friend in Beck. If that wasn't enough, he was finally reunited with Trina only to find that she'd not only moved on, but with said former friend. Tori hadn't spoken to him since helping him acquire a new ride. All of these event would culminate in him living with Jade, which turned out to be the only bright spot since arriving in Palmont. A small grin formed on his lips as he followed his memories of hanging out with the Goth girl. He wouldn't lie and say that there was no attraction to Jade West... They seemed to click on multiple levels and that brought him happiness that he'd thought to be long gone. 'But, there lies the issue.'

He knew that his heart still loved Trina Vega but now it seemed his feelings were now split evenly with his feelings for Jade. Before becoming a couple back in Rockport, Travis would find himself at war with his mind and heart about the two. It was easy back then... He and Trina were happily together while Jade was dating someone as well. There was nothing conflicting between them due to their respective relationships but once he'd gotten to jail, he realized that while he loved the older Vega, there was another face that invaded his daily thoughts and nightly dreams. In the midst of his thoughts, Travis realized that he was in the middle of a park.

"Never thought I'd see a place like this in Palmont..." he chuckled to himself as he continued further. He adjusted his jacket and looked around the misty park. Unbeknownst to him, he was being followed. Pushing onward, Travis again became engrossed in his thoughts. This time, a vivid memory flashed clearly in his mind causing him to to have a sinking feeling in his chest.

* * *

 **Flashback- 1 year ago**

Travis had just defeated the #12 Blacklist racer Taz and was racing to a location where Trina was allegedly being held. Fortunately, all of the units hunting him were busy taking care of the crazy racer he'd left behind. He found himself parking in front of the boatyard and rushing inside. That proved to be a mistake as he was met with a solid punch to the jaw by a random thug. After picking himself up, he narrowly dodged another punch and launched a knee to the thugs gut, dropping him effectively. Pushing forward, he was met by two more thugs who immediately rushed him. He wasn't going to be caught off guard again though as the first thug swung a pipe at his head. He managed to duck the shot only to receive a side kick that launched him into some crates.

"Damn..." he groaned.

The thug holding a pipe swung again only for Travis to kick him in the knee. He then launched a punch to the groan, dropping him. The other one was a burly guy with a scar over his right eye. Other than that, there was nothing that really set him apart from the your run of the mill lackey. What was significant though was what this man was holding in his hands; a rusty biker's chain.

Travis took special notice of the object, registering it's destructive potential before attacking. He'd have to time his movements perfectly or else he'd be suffering some severe damage. The wannabe guard scowled and made a mad dash towards him, swinging the chain straight down. Predictably, he hit nothing but the already damaged crates. Travis rolled behind him only to get sucker punched by yet another random thug bringing his opponent count to three. Spitting out a little blood, Travis felt himself getting more and more annoyed. 'The clown with the chain is bad enough to deal with.' he mentally grumbled. 'Now I gotta take out these jokers too?'

He received his answer in the form of the two unarmed men lunging at him from both sides. He managed to side step the one on his left, sending him crashing into the wooden beam spine first. The second guy proved not to be too much of an issue either as he threw several punches only to hit nothing but air. Keeping in mind the man with chain, Travis caught a left hook and pulled the now scared flunky into a flying knee that landed square on the jaw. The first thug had just gotten to his feet but only managed to catch a glimpse of a size 12 boot that became planted with his face, no doubt resulting in him needing future reconstructive surgery for what was to be expected as a broken nose and jaw.

"Two down, one to gaahh!"

Before he could catch his breath, the burly thug had wrapped the chain around Travis' neck. Though he was strong, his assailant was clearly dwarfing him in the power category as he was brought down to his knees from the lack of air. He scratched and clawed at the chain but only felt the links sinking deeper into his skin. Soon, he felt the sensation of unconsciousness begin to flood over him as his vision was unfocused. He dropped down to one knee as it appeared he was done for. The grunt chuckled as he enjoyed his handiwork. "I'm not stopping until I see your eyes pop out of your head."

Unfortunately, Travis didn't hear a single word as he unwillingly welcomed the darkness. As the life drained from his face, he happened to see Trina's face. Her soft brown eyes and her adorable smile brought upon a soft smile internally until the image appeared to fade. It took a moment for him to notice that only half of Trina's face was disappearing. 'What the hell is going on?' he thought to himself. Soon another image began to form on the other half of Trina's face to reveal: "Jade?" It was true as on the left side, half of Jades' face was now visible. The contrast between the two were beyond noticeable but it didn't matter at that point. The knowledge of both Trina and Jade in danger seemed to be what was needed to wake him up.

Outside of his mind, the large man had begun unraveling the chain from Travis' bleeding neck. The wound itself wasn't deep enough to cut the jugular but the lack of oxygen appeared to be enough to accomplish the kill. He smirked and walked away from the seemingly lifeless corpse. Unbeknownst to him, Travis was literally dragging his weighed down form off the cold concrete floor. He was barely able to get on his knees before coughing up a small amount of blood, alerting his attempted murderer.

"Huh.. seems you're not dead yet." he noted while cracking his large knuckles. "That's too bad..."

Even though his vision wasn't 100% clear, he could still make out the large frame of the man and launched a solid straight right to his jaw. The force, though not enough to drop him, caused the thug to stumble back. "Seems this one's still got some fire in him." With a tight fist, he cocked his left arm and swung with an immense amount of torque only to have the punch blocked by the forearms of a still wobbly Travis. The impact alone caused a shock wave of pain to surge through his body, but he still kept a grin on his face. No clever words were said as he delivered a headbutt, effectively breaking his opponents nose in the process. Struggling to breathe, the man didn't see the next few punches and kicks before they landed on their designated targets. He threw punches blindly but only accomplished in hitting air.

Travis was fighting on pure instinct alone as each attack connected with deliberate intent to injure. Several punches broke the jaw, and orbital bone. A well placed knee cracked a few ribs while one to the sternum knocked all the wind from his lungs. Soon the man was nothing more than a heap on the ground; blood pouring out from any means of an exit. He'd won...

Once that was confirmed, Travis stumbled around as he was still in the process of recovering. It took sometime but the muffled sounds helped him significantly while he carefully approached one of the backrooms. Fortunately, he didn't run into anymore 'guards' and opened the door slowly. Inside though wasn't Trina Vega. He saw the pale skinned woman bound, gagged, and blindfolded in an office chair. He shut the door behind him and first removed the blindfold allowing her the ability to see again. Jade's eyes widened as her icy eyes began to focus on the weak smile of Travis who was working on untying her.

"Hey there, Ivory." he joked softly as he loosened the main knot in the ropes.

Jade quickly removed the tape from her mouth and, surprisingly, hugged her savior tightly. This was the nature of their relationship as she silently sobbed into his shoulder. He shook off the feeling of uncertainty and wrapped his arms around his friend, trying his best to comfort her. Nobody, had ever seen Jade sob, not even her then boyfriend, Ambrose who was on a separate rescue mission of his own. Feeling his warmth, Jade West soon began to calm down, though the tears still flowed freely. He didn't mind though as he managed to put her on his back and carried her out to his car. She began to panic as he set her down and clung to him tightly. While he tried to explain that he was going back to rescue Trina, she lunged at him and their lips met for the first time. It was a surreal feeling pouring through Travis' body before he pulled away. No other words were exchanged as he shut the door softly and ran back inside leaving Jade to contemplate her actions.

'What did I just do?'

'He's dating that Vega chick...'

'You're dating Ambrose, you idiot.'

'How could you be so stupid?!'

Unfortunately, she never finished her mental berating as she soon found herself fast asleep only to wake up hours later in a warm bed. This wasn't her bed though... Jade took a moment to inspect her surroundings and found she was in Travis and Trina's room. She was in their bed, lying next to one Trina Vega who was sleeping soundly with her back to the Goth. A scowl formed on her lips before sliding carefully out of the bed. Once she exited the room, she found that everyone was asleep in the large garage. Everyone except for Travis...

At that time, he was at Camden Beach, enjoying some personal time knowing that everyone was safe. Especially the two young women he'd come to care deeply for. He listened to the crashing waves and attempted to get lost in the cool breeze when his phone rang. He accepted the incoming call knowing full well who it was.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Travis..."

"Jade? Shouldn't you be asleep with the others?"

"I um... I just woke up to be honest. I could say the same about you."

He simply chuckled softly though he couldn't shake this uneasy feeling creeping up on him.

"Y-yeah. I just needed some fresh air after everything that happened today."

"I understand completely." Jade tried her best yet failed in hiding the sorrow in her tone. "Listen, I wanted to tell you personally: Thank you for rescuing me along with Vega."

"It's not a problem. I couldn't save one without the other, you know?"

"Well it's good to know that you still see me as important." she giggled softly, something she'd never do around anyone else.

The big picture though wasn't in their spoken words. The truly relevant parts of the conversation were hidden between the lines. Both of them figured out what the other was saying despite their dialogue being so casual.

"You know I wouldn't feel right rescuing one without the other, right Jade?" **"You know I like you just as much as I love Trina, right?"**

"I know, but it's good to have you assuring me all the same." **"I know and I like you as much as I like Ambrose."**

Travis let out a soft laugh as he made his way inside of his car. He enjoyed their personal talks and their strong friendship.

"I'll be back in a few. Get some rest in the mean time and I'll see you in the morning, Jade."

He could hear a huff from the other side of the phone before a gentle sigh. "Fine. But you owe me a friends night out too, alright?"

"Of course. There's a concert coming up at Rockport Stadium in a few weeks. We can hit that up if you'd like."

"Sounds like a plan." she smiled behind the phone before a yawn crept out.

"Good. Now get some sleep and don't kill my girlfriend." he half joked.

"Yeah yeah... no promises."

"Goodnight, Jade."

"Night, Travis."

* * *

Back in the present day, Travis left out a sigh of frustration. He and Jade never brought up that day again but they both knew why. That was the day everything they both felt was solidified. It was apparent when he found out he was to be paired with Jade in the San Juan district, that Jade was single again. He figured that now was the perfect time to take a chance though nothing more than a kiss and cuddling came out of it.

"I'm such an idiot..." he groaned while leaning against a railing.

"So it's not just my own opinion then." a sultry voice responded, prompting his eyes to widen.

He turned around to see none other than a scowling Jade West. Though her face signified that he wasn't in any immediate danger, he still exercised caution.

"How long have you been here?"

"I could ask you the same question..." she retorted while resting her hands on her hips. "I figured you'd gone wandering off once I noticed you left me alone in bed."

All he could do was scratch the back of his neck nervously while trying, and failing, to suppress a blush.

"Sorry..." he looked down at the ground, unable to meet her glare. "...I just had a lot on my mind."

"You know, you don't have to find your answers alone..."

The two stopped and realized what had happened at that moment. Jade had initiated the taboo without even knowing and Travis was about to press forward though he opted to ease into it.

"I know Jade but... what if I don't like the answer? What if the answer doesn't favor any one person?"

"Travis, you've never been a genius but even you know that nothing is truly perfect and... ah to hell with this...!" Jade swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "You're an idiot!" she screamed at him. "I never wanted you to forget Trina! I only wanted to know was there still a place for me in your heart!"

Travis was stunned and broken to see Jade like this.

"I'm sorry, Jade. I didn't-"

"No! Let me finish!" at this point tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. "I know you still have feelings for Trina. Hell, it's only been a few weeks since you came into town. I never expected you to just forget about her and remove her completely from your heart. But what I want to know is..." She stopped for a moment as the tears she so desperately tried to push back, flowed like a river. The tiny droplets that fell from her cheeks glistened under the light of the moon, which had appeared through some breaks in the clouds. "Do you still feel the way you did back then? Do you actually see me as someone you could build a future with? Can you ever feel the same way for me as you do for Trina? Or is this all just a figment of my imagination?" Despite the pain in her voice, she continued. "Throughout that time, I watched in frustration as Trina had everything I could ever want. She was the one member whom everyone would cut slack for. She was pitied because of her past and being Tori's sister. I had to actually work to get what I had and yet she was just handed things on a silver platter. Then you came along and even though I wanted you then, I watched helplessly as she claimed another thing effortlessly while I just sat and watched. I hated how you defended her simply because I wanted that myself. I know it sounds selfish but... I wanted you first..."

The young man never took his gaze off of his best friend and lover. Her body was shaking almost as violently as the day he found her in that shipyard. It was time to make a decision. Without saying a word, he walked up and hugged her. His right arm rested on the small of her back while his left hand pulled her head towards his chest. "Jade. I thank you for telling me this..." he began stroking her raven hair. "To answer your questions: No.. I don't feel the same way as I did back then."

He felt her body tense up almost instantly yet he didn't loose his grip.

"I can't feel the same way because... back then I was in a relationship and so were you. I feel much more than what I did back then Jade. I definitely see you as someone I can have a future with. The way I feel about Trina is nothing that be explained but all the while, the same can be said about my feelings for you." She lifted her head to see his eyes moist with tears of his own. "Jade, I wish I had known about why you did and said the things you did but I can't say I blame you. You deserve to be treated with love and affection. You deserved to be protected. You absolutely deserve to be seen as the queen that you truly are in my eyes." The two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. "I want to give you that..."

Jade simply pulled away but placed her pale hands in his chocolate palms. "Do you really mean that?" he nodded. "What does your heart say about Trina?"

"To be honest? I don't know." his gaze darkened for a split second before returning to a more relaxed look. "What I do know is that I want you Jade West. Trina is with Beck and I assume she's happy. My feelings for her then will be established and she'll always have a place in my heart. For now though, she's not a factor in my life. When it comes down to confront those feelings, I'll handle them."

Jade smirked softly and hugged him again. "You're such a dork sometimes, you know that?"

"Hey, you like this dork though." he returned the gesture.

"No. It's much more than that."

Travis thought for a moment and smiled at what she meant.

"I love you Jade."

"I love you too, Travis."

The two then leaned in and shared a romantic kiss, their first as an official couple. However, it seemed their private moment had been observed by an unknown figure, who seemed intrigued at the events that had unfolded. Once they separated for air, the couple intertwined their fingers, and made their way for home.

"That's an interesting move you made, Travis. I didn't expect you to have grown in such little time." the rather masculine voice noted before disappearing into the night.

* * *

While Andre slept soundly, Ryanna decided stalk in the dark to raid the fridge after using the bathroom. She smacked her lips at the sight of leftovers from various takeout joints and decided on a barely touched cheeseburger. She eagerly shoved her midnight snack in the microwave setting the timer and waiting for it to be ready for consumption when she heard a strange noise. She stopped the machine and listened intently only to hear pure silence again.

"Must've been my imagination." she muttered to herself.

Just as she was about to restart the timer, she heard it again. "What the hell?" she whispered.

She skulked around, checking the garage first only to find it was completely empty. Ryanna then heard it once more and without mistaking it, figured it to be moaning. Forgetting her pilfered burger, she checked every possible location before settling on one final room. "Travis?" Step by step, her heart began pounding harder and harder with questions pertaining to the sound. Did Jade bring someone else over? Did Travis? Every variable flashed in her mind.. all except for one. She opened the door and narrowly suppressed a gasp at what she saw. With wide eyes filled with shock, she backed away slowly only to bump into a groggy Andre.

"Babe, what are you doing up so late?" he asked/yawned.

Not a word was said, only a finger pointed in the direction of Travis' bedroom. Ryanna watched as her half sleep, half confused boyfriend poked his head inside. It didn't take long for him to adopt her expression as they both shuffled back to 'their room' for the night. Neither knew what to say but agreed to touch on it in the morning. Meanwhile, a naked Jade yawned and stretched a bit before settling in again on top of Travis, nuzzling his chest. Travis too yawned from exhaustion but had the presence of mind to grab the comforter, pulling over their nude forms. Once he was sure that they were both warm enough, he allowed his eyelids to droop shut once more but not before saying again: "I love you, Jade."

The pale skinned goth simply grinned in her sleep as they both dreamed of the future.


	6. Chapter 6: All or Nothing

**I truly want to say thank you to everyone who reads this fiction. You're reviews keep me going when I'm feeling like giving up altogether. One thing I'd like to do for you all is introduce a Q &A while working on the next chapter. It can be generally about anything involving this fiction, character interactions, etc. Whether you're wondering about the current situations or future outcomes or maybe just ask about what you could expect, you can ask away and I'll respond to each and every inquiry you have. If you read as anonymous, then leave an alternate name along with your question.**

 **Back to the story so far. I would like to say that from this point, the story will take a darker path. To make a long story short, it'll involve some serious themes including drugs, sex, violence, language, etc. So, I'm giving the heads up that from this point on, the fic will be in the rated M department. Another thing I would like to touch on is the apparent moments involving Tori Vegas' mysterious guest. To address the elephant in the room, Tori was not raped. The sex was mutual however under duress. I won't go into too much detail as her actions play a key point in her role in the story. I felt it important to note before continuing. I do not take that subject lightly and I truly hope you all continue to read and enjoy.**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 1: Enter Palmont City**

 **Chapter 6: All or Nothing**

As the dawn ascended over the horizon, Tori was finally able to sleep as she curled up under the covers. Her body shook slightly as a piece of the covers grazed her back sending a chill through her body. A soft groan escaped her lips as she subconsciously tried to regain some sense of sleep after the night before. That night was filled with round after round of emotionless sex that made her feel cheap and worthless and yet, she found herself repeating the motion every single time he arrived at the door. It took a while for her to reach the point of slumber but she finally achieved her goal. It had been nearly two hours since her visitor left which assisted her in gaining peace. Unfortunately, her sleep would be short lived as the familiar, and currently annoying, chirp of her cell phone jolted her awake.

Tori felt around her nightstand until she could feel her cellular device vibrating in her palm. Her brown eyes flashed with confusion and anger as she found herself opening the main menu on her phone to see a "missed call" icon appear on the upper left corner. In an attempt to call back, she found herself again assaulted, albeit for a significantly shorter time, by the increasing volume of ringing in her ear. She swiped her thumb across the screen, prepared to give whoever was on the other line a piece of her mind.

"What do you want?" she droned.

"Tori, I need you..."

She rolled her tired eyes. "Trina, I've had a rough night and I just want one day to rest and-"

"Please, Tori! I really need to talk to you... I don't have anyone else to talk to about this to..."

After a soft groan, the younger Vega relented.

"Alright, Trina. Just give me a few hours to sleep and I'll meet up with you later in the day."

Trina agreed and finally allowed her sibling to go back to sleep.

* * *

Later on in the day, Travis let out an ungodly yawn. As he attempted to sit up, he felt a familiar weight on his chest that he came to recognize as a certain pale skinned beauty resting comfortably on his chest. His lips curved upwards at the sight of Jade sleeping soundly on top of him. After the events of the night before in the park, he was happy to have someone to love again. He knew his feelings were real and to know her true feelings as well only strengthened his own. He sighed softly, feeling her heartbeat.

"You are so beautiful." he whispered.

On cue, Jade West began to stir in her sleep; her eyes fluttered open and a soft groan passed her lips. "You're so cheesy..." she teased.

"You love that about me though." he chuckled while brushing a few strands of her raven hair behind her ear. "How'd you sleep?"

Shrugging, Jade smirked and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "To be honest, it's the first time I've slept soundly without tossing and turning." Her eyes trailed down for a moment. It had been less than 24 hours since the two became official and she found her emotions running amok. She normally had a tight handle on expressing her feelings and yet here she was blushing like little school girl.

Travis took notice of her actions and, after brushing her raven hair behind her left ear, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. The two gazed at one another until a familiar, and at the moment, annoying, ring tone. He groaned and picked up the device.

 **Beck**

 **Job tonight.  
** **City lines outside of Downtown district.  
** **10 sharp.**

The couple sat in silence for a few minutes, processing the reality. It had been a few weeks since he'd arrived in town and nearly once a week, Travis was summoned to either race, or perform some unknown job in order to pay back his supposed debt to Beck Oliver. Some of the jobs required him to risk his life and the only things that kept him motivated were his feelings for a certain goth.

"Jade I-"

He was silenced by a finger placed on his lips. "I understand. That ass wants you to do another job for him." she noticed his eyes dart down. "Just promise me you'll be safe tonight. I couldn't stand it if you wound up hurt, or in jail, or... worse."

The pain in her voice was enough to shatter his soul. Aside from Trina, he didn't believe he could develop a connection as deep as the one he had with Trina Vega. His heart still ached at the sheer thought of her but he was more than happy to be able to love again. Jade could tell where his mind was going and her eyes blazed with anger. Not towards Travis; but firmly directed at a couple that were the cause of his conflicted feelings. To this day, nobody really knew where or when the animosity truly began, but she knew exactly where everything began with Trina. "Travis.. I love and care about you immensely." she gazed into his eyes seeing his with tears threatening to spill. "I know she's still in your heart, but I swear to you... listen to me..." Honey brown eyes locked onto her frigid orbs; empathy meeting with pain and remorse.

"...I love you and I'm going to help you get over this."

Before he could say anything, Travis remained silent once he felt the soft touch of her ivory hands resting on his cheek. He watched as Jade leaned in to kiss him. Her breath was like a cool breeze. Her right hand found itself placed on his chest, just over his heart. She could feel his pulse accelerate, his body stiffening under her seductive gaze. Though it was only for a few seconds, this moment felt like it would last forever, sending Travis' senses into overdrive. Her scent was intoxicating, her touch, entrancing, he was ready to explode when finally, mercifully, their lips met. He wrapped his strong arms around Jade, a reaction to his brain finally functioning again. Just like the previous night, there was definitely something there. While there were sparks the previous night in the park, now there were full blown fireworks.

The two continued their embrace until they both were out of breath. Jade and Travis, two friends turned lovers, lied together in bed listening to the sounds of the world outside their home.

"Thank you, Jade." he whispered.

Slitted blue eyes took in his profile with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Promise me you'll be safe tonight."

"Jade, you know I w-"

"No, Travis promise me... If something were to happen to you.."

"Alright, I promise I'll come back." Satisfied, the two shared one more kiss before cuddling up closer to one another. Before she allowed herself to drift off, her ears caught the one thing that caused her heart to skip a beat. "I love you too, Jade."

Behind the bedroom door, Andre and Ryanna heard the interactions between the newly formed couple before creeping away to the bedroom they slept in. The two felt very distinct emotions to what they'd witnessed moments earlier. Hearing the happiness in her brother's voice, Ryanna was estatic to know that Travis was moving on from Trina. Andre though, could feel a wave of terror stirring in his gut. He, of all people, knew that, despite the joy his friends were feeling, there would be consequences in the long run. The two weren't close to Beck and Tori anymore but they were on neutral grounds with the leader of Silverton and crossing his former best friend wasn't the best thing to do.

Looking over at the young woman he loved, Andre noticed how happy his girlfriend was. Unfortunately, he would have to bring Ryanna back to reality.

"Hey, baby?" Ryanna turned around, a splitting grin on her face. "I know you're happy about Jade & Travis and all, but..."

"But nothing, Andre!" she interjected. "For the first time since Rockport, my brother is happy with someone."

"I know that, but Beck's changed since after he disappeared. He's not the same rational guy we knew back in Rockport. If he or Trina find out about this, it could be disasterous."

"I dont care..." she growled through gritted teeth. "Ever since Travis disappeared, the only thing I was worried about was his safety. The last time I saw him, he was heartbroken beyond repair. I don't see him for what felt like forever only to find out he was sent to prison. Now, finally he's happy again and I won't allow someone to ruin that." Ryanna's tone, despite not having to raise her voice, held a darkness that could freeze a volcano. Beck and Trina chose each other after my brother left and now they'll have to accept the fact that they've moved on.

Andre, despite having serious reservations, nodded.

"Alright, I see your point. I guess we should let nature take its course."

Ryanna looked skeptically at her lover for a moment before giving him a quick hug. There wasn't much more that was needed to be said so the two decided on a quick shower before leaving. They were most fortunate that Jade and Travis were heavy sleepers as they entered the bathroom. As the water ran, Ryanna began to strip down to nothing while admiring Andres' toned torso. As he turned around, he took immediate notice of her size 36 DD breasts and her curvacious hips.

"Someone's cleary overdressed." she teased as her forest green eyes took in his mocha frame. She pulled down the last article of clothing, his boxers, before pulling him into the shower.

Hot water swiftly draped their bodies leaving behind crystal clear droplets. Ryanna let out a soft moan as her boyfriend pressed his forehead to hers. Her caramel complexion was the perfect contrast to his own. Behind his golden brown eyes, she could visibly see the whirlpool of passion building within him. Before she could say a word, a kiss silenced her as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. His lips pressed against her own as she pushed back in an attempt at dominating the moment. Her right leg soon weaved itself around the small of his back before she was pressed firmly against the tiles, directly under the rushing water.

Ryanna soon pulled away, but only for a moment in order to catch her breath. Andre's response was to latch his lips on her neck, just underneath her jawline. Waves of desire began to swell within them both. No longer was it just fooling around. Now it was all about the 'journey' that they've wanted to partake in for a while. "Andre." she bit her lips as his tongue gently traced down to her large breasts. "I- I mmm..."

Andre grinned internally as his mouth found itself wrapped firmly around one of her nipples. Their moments of intimacy would always develop into a sexual chess game and right now, Andre was checking her every move. Her sensitive spots were always his way of gaining the upper hand. As he gently swirled his tongue, Ryanna dug her nails into his back. As she raked them down his back, Andre let out an involuntary moan. She whispered something into his ear though, the water drowned out her voice. Somehow, he knew what she wanted and turned her around, but not before planting another passionate kiss. He savored the sight of her long brown hair sticking to her soft skin. She looked back to see him leaning forward and then, the surprising feeling of being stretched.

"Oh my God!" she moaned as her legs buckled slightly. She was fortunate that Andre wrapped his arms and supported her as he pressed forward. Soon they were intertwined with one another as they performed the motions of tender love.

"A-Andre..."

"Ryanna..."

Her legs continued to buckle. Her eyes were rolling in the back of her head. She felt a tingling sensation burning from her gut down to her loins as her lover thrusted faster and harder. His hips crashed into her firm ass. Ryanna could feel the increasing intensity of Andre grinding inside of her and clawed the wall in response. The fire only grew wilder as her moans grew louder. It was clear that Andre was the winner of this round but none of that mattered anymore. Now, he was more focused on giving her the best orgasm she's ever felt. For nearly two years, she'd been pent up and tense. Now she was loosening up and he was hell bent on accomplishing that mission.

"Andre..." she whimpered as waves of pleasure began to hit its boiling point from within. She wasn't going to last much longer and they both knew it. "...Please keep going..."

He was more than happy to oblige and pushed as far as he could inside her, hitting her g-spot perfectly. Her moans shifted instantly into cries and in the midst of her orgasm, she felt light-headed while slowly descending into a stupor. Turning the now cool water off, Andre smirked and slowly pulled out leaving her with the feeling of emptiness before finally succumbing to dreamland.

"I love you too, Ryanna."

* * *

At the edge of town, Beck waited impatiently in his convertible, tapping his fingers on the dash board . Unbeknownst to him, Tora had tailed him and was currently hiding on a cliff a few hundred feet away, nervously observing the scene that would undoubtably unfold. Next to her, Trina sat in the passengers seat, both sisters wondering what was about to go down. The couple had been on the rocks lately ever since Beck bailed his Travis out of that jam with Cross. Trina was conflicted yet refused to admit it, though it showed in her actions since that night. Whenever she raced, Beck and Tori noticed just how more ruthless she'd become. However, there were also clear signs of Beck acting weird as well. He would always seem busy or off in his own world. They weren't as intimate as they were before and that night.

Her life was fine before _HE_ returned. There was nothing wrong when she and Beck first got together. She was happy again after Travis' disappearance once he asked her out. From that point, things began to change for the better as she soon grew acustomed to the lavish lifestyle as Beck took over Silverton. Along with Tori, they were able to gain undisputed control over the biggest borough in the city including backdoor trades and deals throughout the city.

Trina Vega grew more and more frustrated as they continued their stakeout.

"Where is he?" she groaned.

Tori simply rolled her eyes and groaned softly.

"Trina, I don't think that complaining will bring Travis here any sooner. From what we know, Beck wanted to meet with him around 10 and there's still about 15 minutes until-"

The younger Vega sister was cut off by the sounds of an engine roaring. They both looked out and saw a royal blue Mitsubishi Lancer cruising down the lone road towards Beck Oliver's location.

Beck had directed his attention at the canyon run that made his name infamous throughout the city of Palmont. He remembered how he was rising through the ranks of the race circuit some years prior. At that point in time, he was in charge of the number one crew in the city, The Scorpions. However, he was only ranked #2 after one other driver.

Travis.

They both were members of the group, having been co-founders. Beck was a truly gifted driver and an expert at equipping his cars with the best engines for the highest speeds. He was considered a prodigy in how to maneuver at breakneck speeds which set him apart from all challengers. All except for one... While Beck was the best in speed and acceleration, his rival, Travis was the best all around racer. Between the two, Beck was just a slight step behind Travis and that is what triggered their once friendly rivalry.

It boiled his blood that he was considered secondary to him. His eyes narrowed at the idea that no matter what he did, Travis was always a thorn in his side. Even after all that time, transferring to Rockport, where he was the number one racer on the Blacklist, he couldn't cleanse his soul of the stain that was his rival. The only form of solace he obtained was his control over Travis' life due to the debt he was currently paying off. Between that and having Trina by his side, he was now able to have a small level of control over the former inmate.

Beck was ripped from his thoughts when a pair of headlights nearly blinded him. The driver pulled in front of them and shut the lights off allowing them to see his Mitsubishi Lancer. Travis opened the door, and steps out of the vehicle wearing a black and green leather jacket. He carried a medium sized duffle bag around his shoulders and a firm scowl on his face. Terra brown eyes cut daggers at Beck as he stepped out of his own vehicle as Trina sat silently inside to watch the encounter between her past and present boyfriends. The tension between them was palpable and seemed at times near catastrophic levels.

"What do you want, Beck?" annoyance laced his words, much to Becks surprise. "If you're looking for your money, I got the last of it right here."

A raised eyebrow and a whistle were Beck's responses. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd get the money this quickly..."

"Right..." Travis rolled his eyes before tossing the bag to his former friend. "...Now I no longer owe you anything..."

The venom oozing from each word didn't faze the leader of Silverton, who's granite orbs gleamed in delight at the delivery of his money.

"You're right. As of this moment, you're off the hook and you no longer owe me anything..."

"However, you do owe me some answers."

Beck simply chuckled as he made his way to the back of his candy red Dodge Viper. Running a hand through his hair, he turned his now hardened gaze towards Travis, who countered with a glare of his own. He tossed the bag in the back seat and shut the door while contemplating Travis' claim.

"I do? ...and what, pray tell, would you require answers to?"

Travis read the situation and soon both men found themselves drawing guns from well hidden holsters. The Vega sister gasped at the sight of both men pointing hand guns at the other. The older sister nearly freaked out and rush down to them but was restrained by Tori who patiently observed the scene that was unfolding.

"I see you're not the same naive boy I helped out all those years back." Travis remained stoic as Beck's face flashed with arrogance. "I have to say, I'm actually proud to see you've grown so much from your time in Rockport State."

With his finger on the trigger, Travis could tell he was being baited. Thankfully, he kept his composure and remained stone face. The cold breeze didn't seem to affect the two save a visible clouds of air they exhaled. The situation was escalating faster than either sister could've imagined as it seemed that neither man was going to back down from the other.

"Unfortunately, you're tragically under the impression that you've claimed control of the situation." Confusion set on Travis' face until his eyes widened at the sight around him. One by one, the stinging shine of headlights began to appear from the shadows of the unlit portion of the road. He found himself surrounded by heavily armed men in flashy suits. "I applaud your efforts up to this point. I gotta say, I misjudged you..." Beck chuckled. "...you're a lot more vicious than I gave you credit for. I guess your time behind bars did a number on you."

Sensing the urge to lunge at him, Travis found himself stunned when the sound of a hammer being cocked back rang in his ears. The frustrated racer rolled his eyes and scoffed before surrendering the weapon to a stereotypical cue ball thug. Once again, Travis' life was in Beck's hands. The only thing stopping him from outright assaulting his arrogant rival was the fact that he'd be leaving Jade behind.

"Unfortunately, you had to have known that I wouldn't have come out here alone. Look, you did the final job and now you're free to get the hell out of my life. I'm giving you 24 hours to get out of town. You can keep the car and whatever extra money you made from your races, but I want you out of Palmont tonight."

"What if I say no?" The venom no longer hidden in his voice. "Are you going to have me executed right here?"

Beck simply lit a cigarette and took a long pull. "No. I'll have Jade killed..."

More men rushed Travis before he could get his hands on Beck. Trina and Tori watched, both equally shocked at the scene unraveling in front of them. Whatever was said, caused Travis to have a meltdown. Looking to a now panicking Trina Vega, Tori decided they needed to leave before they somehow got swept up in the impending chaos.

"You wouldn't dare lay a hand on her." A pissed off Travis grunted. "I won't let you!"

Taking a few more drags from his cigarette, Beck scoffed. "You see, we both know what happened the night we were forced to leave the city. The cops were geared up to take us in for racing but something peculiar happened. The car you were driving had been mistaken for another that had drugs in the trunk, right?"

"What abo]po1ut it? The cops thought I was a big time drug dealer and wanted to put me away... They never saw my face so they had no picture to identify so, once I was out of the state, I had the car scrapped for parts and bought another used vehicle until Ryanna and I wound up in Olympic City. What does that have to do with anything?" he raised an eyebrow; a hurricane forming deep in his soul. Beck smirked before heading to his car.

"Unless, you want to put Jade in the same situation, I suggest you leave..."

It only took a moment for the still restrained Travis to put the pieces together. Beck had set him up all those years and he was prepared to do it again if he felt it necessary. Defeated, he knew the only choice would be to leave again. "Okay... you win." he admitted. All the rage and fury had drained from his face; left behind was a look of submission. "I'll leave. But only if I can at least see Jade before I go..." Beck's eyes narrowed with skepticism. "...I won't let what happened in Rockport occur again. I'm going to at least tell her I'm going to skip town to her face."

Suspicion was practically oozing from his pores. Beck wanted to be rid of his former friend but after a moments thought, he agreed.

"You have until sunrise. If I see or hear of you in Palmont after that, I will see to it that your blood stains the streets personally."

The two exchanged one last glare of searing hatred before Beck hopped in his car. The men refused to release Travis until their boss had disappeared back into the lights of the city. Withing minutes, Travis was left all alone at the city lines to ponder the severity of the situation. Once again, he was going to have to leave behind someone he cared deeply for... He took a few moments to gather himself before stepping inside the car and driving back to his home.

To Jade.

* * *

Jade was wide awake chatting with a more relaxed Andre and Ryanna when the object of her affection came walking through the garage door. His face was unreadable, which both alarmed and worried the goth. He didn't even say a word; just walked past everyone with a blank gaze into the bedroom and then shut the door behind him. His mind was a clouded mess; thoughts of the past and possible future flooding his brain. It was enough for him to have been Beck's whipping boy but now? He and Jade finally were happy and together only to have it snatched away from him again.

"There has to be a way..." he mumbled to nobody in particular.

"A way to do what?"

His eyes shot open to see the sole person capable of drowning out his sorrows.

"Jade... I have something I need to tell you."

* * *

 **First off, I want to say thank you to those who waited so patiently for this update. I really struggled with writers block during this chapter and almost shut down completely. Fortunately, I was able to complete it with (hopefully) minimum errors and clutter. I wanted to also say that again, this story is going to take a darker tone and may even be switched over the M rating. The next chapter will be the last for the "Enter Palmont City" arc, and I'll be working on that right away. The next arc will center around the various crew and introductions of other unused characters like Robbie and Cat. Will there be a Cabbie-ship? I don't know... maybe or maybe not. I am holding a mini-contest for crew names to feature in the fic and if I use them, I will give credit to those who sent them in and even may use an OC idea they have to represent the crew. Whenever, a crew is introduced, they will have significance throughout the chapters or situations they are brought into.**

 **I have a slightly more clearer mind now that I've leaped over this hurdle. I hope you enjoy it and stay tuned for the next update. I'm hoping to get out at least one more chapter before the new year. If I'm lucky, I may get out two lol Enjoy the holiday seasons and be safe.**


	7. Chapter 7: Let's Be Clear

**I truly want to say thank you to everyone who reads this fiction. You're reviews keep me going when I'm feeling like giving up altogether. One thing I'd like to do for you all is introduce a QA while working on the next chapter. It can be generally about anything involving this fiction, character interactions, etc. Whether you're wondering about the current situations or future outcomes or maybe just ask about what you could expect, you can ask away and I'll respond to each and every inquiry you have. If you read as anonymous, then leave an alternate name along with your question.**

 **Back to the story so far. I would like to say that from this point, the story will take a darker path. To make a long story short, it'll involve some serious themes including drugs, sex, violence, language, etc. So, I'm giving the heads up that from this point on, the fic will be in the rated M department. Another thing I would like to touch on is the apparent moments involving Tori Vegas' mysterious guest. To address the elephant in the room, Tori was not raped. The sex was mutual however under duress. I won't go into too much detail as her actions play a key point in her role in the story. I felt it important to note before continuing. I do not take that subject lightly and I truly hope you all continue to read and enjoy.**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 1: Enter Palmont City**

 **Chapter 7: Let's Be Clear**

 **Carbon Canyon/City Lines- 1:26 a.m.**

Beck surveyed the wreckage at the foot of the canyon; his despicable smirk was made even more terrifying by the dancing flames. Brushing his fingers through his hair, a sick grin twisted by borderline insanity carved his face. It was the first time that any serious emotion was visible on his face. While the flames licked the air savagely, the King of Palmont pulled out a wallet sized photo. His cold grey eyes locked onto the picture, almost analyzing its features, then tossed it from the ledge in the fiery abyss.

"Goodbye..." his tone, cold enough to freeze the deepest depths of hell itself, only accentuated his unbridled hatred. "...It was fun."

Soon sirens were blaring in the distance and Beck hopped in his red Viper speeding off into the night. He managed to slip past the emergency vehicles through a seemingly blocked off tunnel. Cruising down the path with the window down, Beck could feel a weight being lifted from his shoulders. He released a sharp breath that that brought on a feeling of relaxation. He couldn't fathom this feeling washing all over his very being as he once again entered the city and headed home.

Eventually, the fire was contained by the Palmont City Fire Department and soon, the cops began their investigation of the wreckage. The 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer was mangled and charred beyond recognition save for the insignia on the grill. They worked feverishly to find any clue as to what happened though their search appeared to be producing no fruits. All that remained were the large remains of the frame, melted leather seats, and...

"Sir! We found something...!"

The others around the crime scene rushed over. What they discovered was both shocking and disturbing as some held their breaths and others struggled to keep from vomiting. One of them stuck his head inside, along with a flashlight, and inspected the remains. In the passenger seat sat the burned remains of a human being but somehow, as if by chance, the wallet barely survived.

"What do you got there?" the police chief maneuvered around the pieces of debris and checked inside only to clutch his nose in disgust. Along with the wallet, the chief noticed the body that was beyond charred, trying to keep himself from mirroring his subordinates' actions. "Call the forensic crew and have them check this out for any form of clue that'll help us close this case."

"Yes sir!" the men recited in unison.

Throughout the early morning, while the remaining crews cleaned up, three figures watched everything unfold. Under the night sky, Travis and Jade looked on at the city below them. The ivory woman's eyes narrowed as hatred boiled within her. Knowing what her ex-boyfriend had committed, Jade's fist tightened before feeling a strong arm wrap around her waist.

"Will you guys be alright?" the other male asked as he lit a cigarette. His voice was thick with a Cajun accent signifying his Creole-French roots.

Between the two, Travis would be the one to respond.

"I'm just glad you showed up when you did." he huffed. "I would've been the killed, Liam..."

He simply smirked while taking a drag from his cigarette. "No problem. I'm glad we were able to fix things before they got worse."

"Yeah well... I have a more important question..." Jade interrupted, catching the young men's attention. "...Where are we going to stay? In case you didn't notice, the boys raided our home."

Liam could feel the anger rising and, despite his relaxed demeanor, he was glad it wasn't directed towards him. His reputation was centered around being fearless, however, even he respected the scissor wielding goth. It was true, that they were raided by Palmont P.D. in a seemingly 'random' assault.

* * *

 **Palmont City- San Juan District**

 **11:48 pm**

Mere minutes before the raid, the couple were discussing a very private matter when they heard the sounds of one of the doors being broken down. They rushed out to hear the ear splitting words of armed men shouting various orders. Andre and Ryanna were no where to be found and Travis pushed his girlfriend back into the room before foolishly rushing into the men. He tackled the lead guard and sweep kicked another on his right. They were effectively thrown off by this sudden action and Travis knew it was all he needed to capitalize on the situation.

"Jade, run!" he roared before throwing a right hook to a third officer's groin, thus taking him out of the equation for a while. However, before he could check if his lover was alright, a large gloved fist crashed into his jaw, stunning him. With his vision blurry, the others followed up with a series of punches and kicks of their own. Travis, to his credit, blocked as many blows as he could but he would soon be bombarded by a solid kick that found its home buried in his gut. His cry of pain echoed in the hallowed room as he dropped to one knee. He wouldn't give up though and pushing through the pain, he hit a blond officer with a solid uppercut square on the jaw, sending him crashing into his fellow comrades. 'That should give me some time to get out of here.'

Or so he thought...

He turned his gaze to the back door to see it wide open. He could've made a break for the exit but was stopped when he felt something hard connect with his back. Again he found himself kneeling only this time, he was held down by those he fought desperately against. "Get off of me!" he yelled only to see a familiar pair of shoes. 'Polo's?" he wondered. 'It can't be..." He looked up to see the shadowed frame of none other than Beck. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled. He received a crunching knee to his midsection. No doubt, there was a rib broken from that blow as a considerable amount of blood erupted from Travis' mouth.

"I must say, you've been a bad boy haven't you, Travis? I would've thought you to have wised up and learn from your mistakes." Beck watched, amused that despite his adversary struggling valiantly, the men were holding him securely. A wicked smirk settled at the sight of the physically labored Travis kneeling at his feet. It was a satisfying sight to witness the man whom he held such hatred for. Travis gasped for air after the killer blow, prompting his former friends attention. "It seems you still have a bit of fight left in you." his tone was cold and without emotion at this point. He nodded his head at someone who happily recognized the order. Soon Travis felt the ever so familiar feeling of a limb connecting with his body, this time his lower abdomen. The sickening clamor of retching resonated in Becks ears like a symphony while he watched specks of blood litter the concrete floor. "I told you to get out of town by midnight and wouldn't you know it, it's after midnight. It seems whatever you were doing here was more important than your own life." Travis grunted softly as Beck grabbed his locs and pulled his head upwards so they were eye level. "Last time, it was Trina back in Rockport wasn't it? This time, it's Jade?" his tone held a mock disappointment. "See? Everything was going well before you went snooping. Things would've been simple but, tragically, you chose to make things more difficult for me. It appears I should clean up that mess, huh?"

Travis watched helplessly as the calculated Beck brandished a sleek black hand gun. Pressing it under his chin, Beck's eyes danced in hopes that the thorn in his side would beg for mercy. This was more than pride or one-upmanship. This was madness. Travis, though, wouldn't relent as he spat a thick glob of blood on his face and grinned defiantly. A flinching Beck stared off at nothing before wiping the blood off his face. It was infuriating knowing that no matter what he did, his 'prey' wouldn't break. "I shouldn't have expected anything less from you; always so confident and strong willed..."

"It's one of my endearing qualities."

It seemed to be over for Travis. He was ready to embrace death knowing that Jade would be safe... Never relinquishing his grin, the two waited for the inevitable moment that would disconnect Travis from this world.

"Eh, if you say so." Another voice, one thick with Cajun and French, broke through the small group causing everyone to wonder who it was. "Honestly, I'd prefer a little more humility in the Travis pie."

In the end, Liam helped Travis by attacking the men and helping him escape his and Jade's home. Due to the extent of his injuries, they barely had enough space between them and the hired men. Travis, though he'd prefer to run, or rather limp, under his own power but, found himself on Liam's back. They continued onward to the storage garage where Jade was waiting for them. They were later ambushed but narrowly managed to drive away after Travis flipped the light switch off, plunging the entire room in complete darkness. Unbeknownst to the officers, they'd mistaken one of their own as their intended target. While Liam and Jade sped off into the night, a Mitsubishi Lancer followed close behind them. Many of the Palmont P.D.'s forces gave chase under the direct orders of Beck Oliver. The lone officer driving the vehicle was unaware that he was the one being hunted. After weaving around through traffic and multiple boroughs, he found himself the victim of being rammed by his fellow officers. The dark road only served to hinder any ability for him to inform his partners of his identity...

In the end, he would find himself tumbling over the farthest edge of the canyon.

The rest is history...

* * *

Travis spat out a little more blood that had begun to pool in his mouth, just under his tongue. His condition after the ordeal left him in dire need of rest which Jade and Liam duly noted. "We should head over to the next town and settle there until this blows over. The last thing we need is for Beck to send a squad out to hunt us down." The couple nodded and soon Jade helped her boyfriend into the passenger's side of her ride. They both slammed the doors and soon were following their savior on the seemingly limitless highway.

Travis, who was now leaning against the inner frame of the car, glanced over at an upcoming sign that told him that their destination was a ways off. This meant there was plenty of time to discuss the events that occurred. Or maybe something else entirely...

"Jade?" the way he called her name sent goosebumps down her arms. Had the current mood been different, she would've pulled over and pounced on him but sadly, she'd have to remain calm an not succumb to the sweet and calm tone of her lovers voice. She made an almost inaudible grunt, signalling to him that she was paying attention to him. "Do you blame me?"

Her face exuded complete confusion as a frown washed her face.

"What are you talking about?"

Travis could detect that he was about to enter dangerous territory with his girlfriend. In another scenario, this would be a major turn on but he knew his words should be carefully selected. His throat went dry, which he found out when he tried to swallow.

"Jade, we both know it was my fault..." he dared not look at her at this point. "...ever since I came into Palmont, I've been nothing but trouble. I was brought to your home and immediately, you were once again on Beck's radar... I come into debt and in the process, cost you your home. I can only hope that Ryanna and Andre are alright. Tori wouldn't even help me throughout this process for some unknown reason and to top off all of this..." his eyes narrowed while his teeth looked as if they were about to crack under the grinding pressure. "...my ex-girlfriend would much rather see me drop off the face of the earth than even speak to me... face it, I'm a total lost cause..."

Without a second thought, Jade slammed on the brakes resulting in her and Travis being jerked forward. His response was a sharp gasp as, thankfully, the seat belt caught his cracked ribs. The still emotional young man was about to snap only to see that unreadable face. Her blue-green eyes gazed softly at the quiet road ahead calmly.. unnervingly calm. The frown she had mere moments ago was replaced by a relaxed demeanor.

"Are you done?" she asked, her voice freezing the already tense atmosphere. Hearing no audio, she inhaled slowly.. "Is that what you really think?" She turned to see the man who held her heart with his head bowed, almost defeated. Behind his untied locs, she could see the life draining from his eyes. "I asked you a question."

"Jade, you know what I-"

"No!" she interjected. "I don't know what you mean! Do you think for one second that I blame you for what happened?! I know for a fact, that Beck's been manipulative and biased ever since we all left Rockport. He would've done that to anybody who stood in his way. I can't even lie and say I didn't expect this to happen!" Travis could only watch as emotions, hidden even from him, began to pour out. The pain and suffering in his love's voice began to shatter his very being. "I know you feel like you failed everyone after what happened back then, but guess what? You didn't fail... You sacked up and set out in order to make things right. I get it, you were hoping to explain to Trina what really happened, but Beck covered that base and she won't even look at you. It just goes to show you that no matter how much you love, you can't make somebody love you..."

At this point, tears brimmed along her azure orbs.

"Andre and Ryanna are happy to see you were alive. Beck and the Vega's have made their decisions. Hell, they're in the same crew so that wasn't surprising to me..."

"But what about Rockport?" his voice betrayed him, desperation oozed from each word.

"What about Rockport?!"

"Cat? Robbie? What about the others? I let them down... I never got to help them..."

Despite her fury, Jade's glare softened at the realization; he'd been bearing this guilt all this time. She finally let out a haggard breath before leaning towards a beaten Travis. "It's not your fault. We all knew the risk of street racing and we accepted the consequences long before you and your sister arrived in the city." Her words seemed to be falling on deaf ears as his expression was unyielding. It was as if he were a zombie... "Cat disappeared after we were raided. Nobody knows where she went. Robbie took many others somewhere else though, it is rumored that he could be lying low in Palmont... But you have to understand, that they all made their decisions to go where they felt safe. You don't need to keep beating yourself up over this. So what?"

"So what? Beck nearly killed you just to take me out!" he cried back.

Jade's face softened after hearing his words. "But we're still here. He failed... for the first time since Rockport, he lost to you. He's tried twice to have you killed and both times you cheated death. I'm happy to know just where I am in your heart but know this.." the car began to pull off once more. "...I'm not Vega. You can treat me like a daisy all you want behind closed doors, especially the bedroom.." he signature smirk emerged. "...but remember, I'm one of the toughest bitches you've ever met."

Travis stared at Jade for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle that soon grew to a full blown laugh. Unlike other times, this was a hearty laugh that radiated sincerity and while she wanted to smack him upside the head, she couldn't help but join in. Soon the laugh duet simmered down leaving behind a genuinely smiling couple.

"You're right. Sometimes, I forget that you can take care of yourself."

Jade rolled her eyes playfully and was about to respond with something smart only to be cut off by a chirping sound.

"Hey guy. You two alright?" Liam asked with concern. "I looked back to see you two disappeared. Everything okay?"

They looked at one another for a second.

"Never better. Just had to work out a kink but we're trying to catch up with you." he answered.

Static rang in the car before Liam made his grand reappearance. "That's good guys. Keep going for another twenty miles and we should be in Tri-City. I'm sending the coordinates for you guys to find the main safe house. I'll be there waiting for you guys."

"Thanks, Liam. See ya there." Jade, this time, responded.

The goth kept her eyes on the road while Travis navigated for her. From that point, their conversations were much more pleasant and downright normal for them. For the first time, it was like the old days when they were the best of friends only this time, they were also a couple. They had their problem both individually and together, but they made a silent pact to work through them to make the other stronger. As the sun began to ascend, they both knew that no matter what, they were going to be alright...

* * *

 **Sorry everyone for the delay. I was really hoping to have this chapter done before New Years but unfortunately, writers block and everyday life had beat me. I do hope you like this chapter as it's the end of the first arc. To put it plainly, I wanted to touch on many of the main characters featured along with touching on some that will have a much more important role in the future. For the time being, I should let you all know that I will be revising some previous chapters so that they're properly connected to the story. In the meantime, I feel I owe you all something special for being so patient. So while I am accepting OC's, I will also be accepting names for the crews that will be featured in future chapters and arcs. The only rule is be creative but also practical. I would like to have the crews be taken serious so along with the names you can add an OC to lead the crew along with a description on how they act, their racing style and strength, and crew colors. Here is an application preview that you can copy and paste:**

 **Crew Name:**

 **Leader:**

 **Member 1:**

 **Member 2:**

 **Color(s):**

 **Crew Racing Style/Strength:**

 **Cars:**

 **District (Downtown, Fortuna, Kempton, Silverton):**

 **Lastly, I would like to give you all a little insight on what's happened and happening. So, Travis had been incarcerated for three years during the events of Most Wanted. During this time, the gang practically split apart. Beck and Trina became a couple sometime after Travis was arrested. He would be found by Liam who instructed him to go to Palmont City, a place of his past, only for him to wind up being hunted down by Cross who's now a bounty hunter. Just as he was about to be taken in for the Palmont Bounty on his head, he was 'saved' by Beck whom he became indebted to. To add insult to injury, he would find his love, Trina, who now wants nothing to do with him.**

 **He would be sent to live in a neutral district along with Jade who showed him the ropes on how to get back on track with racing in order to pay back the money used to pay off Cross. Throughout the weeks, Travis and Jade would touch on old feelings that were never explored previously in Rockport. They grow closer and become an official couple. Travis finally collects enough money to pay Beck back only to be given a few hours to leave town or face dire consequences that could affect Jade as well. He complies only to be double crossed and attacked. He would've been killed had it not been for Liam helping him and Jade escape.**

 **They managed to get out of town while, conveniently setting up a faux death for Travis. In the end, the three will begin a new chapter (no pun intended) of their lives that'll reshape their destinies and that of Palmont City.**

 **I would like to say the next arc will focus on the three and returning to Palmont. Andre and the others will be back as well so don't worry. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all will be ready for the next arc: Takeover which will be considerably longer than this one. Happy (belated) New Year Everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8: Riders on the Storm

**Hey everyone! Just wanted to give a quick update on Torque, as promised. I want to say thank you all who have been so patient with me despite the delay. I'm proud to say that between this story and Demons Within, I am happily back in the writing zone. I also want to give a big shout out to ThatKiddJordy who came up with the characters for the 410 Royals. They will be the primary antagonists for this arc and trust me, they will make an impact. I do apologize if this chapter seems a bit rushed, but I really wanted to post this before going to bed. I really hope you all enjoy this update and keep that review count rising.**

 **I love you all and appreciate your support. Now let's get into the next chapter!**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 2: Downtown Arc**

 **Chapter 8: Riders on a Storm**

Some time had passed since Travis & Jade managed to evade the police after faking the former's death. Once the news was confirmed, Beck was swiftly informed and his response was predictable. After catching up on some much needed sleep, he took Trina Vega out to, an admittedly, awkward night on the town. Trina, despite not seeing the crash, she wasn't an idiot. Unfortunately, she soon dropped the thoughts after Beck told her that police were hunting down someone and about the ultimatum he'd given her ex-boyfriend. It didn't appear out of the ordinary that he'd leave after paying his debt, considering their messy break up back in Rockport. She shrugged things off completely after a week of wining and dining. Tori remained skeptical of the situation but, chose to let sleeping dogs lie after hearing that Jade left town as well. Andre and Ryanna chose to lay low back in the Downtown borough once they heard about the incident. The two were on edge for the first few months as Andre kept his longtime girlfriend at their apartment while she coped with her brother leaving again.

While she wasn't completely shut out from the world, she was rather reclusive still. Andre always kept an eye on her to prevent her from having a meltdown by keeping her away from specific triggers, such as the Vega sisters. The couple chose to leave behind the racing scene and focus on building their own future in Palmont. After much debate, they settled on moving into the foreclosed garage that formerly housed her brother and Jade. Andre and Ryanna would rotate responsibilities for their grand opening. It was a solid plan for the most part. Ryanna was so determined that her determination to succeed overshadowed her thoughts.

Tonight was the night they would see their dream become reality...

Now, a year later, Palmont City was abuzz with the sounds of roaring engines and screeching tires. The crisp night air bore no power over the men and women in attendance for the night's festivities. Tonight was the Underground Formal, the one night where any and all challenges were accepted, and the racing world was abuzz throughout the city. The streets were normally devoid of citizens around this time of night so there was complete freedom for all. While Andre and Ryanna took orders from various racers, the former's cell phone buzzed in his back pocket. He rolled his eyes once he saw the name presently on his phone.

"Beck..." he muttered out of earshot. Sighing softly, he slid the green circle on the device to the left and answered. "Yeah, what's up?"

"I just heard that Kenji's Bushido's lost against some up and coming crew... I don't know much about them except they've been under the radar the entire time. They didn't go the traditional route, though... they just showed up out of nowhere and found Kenji and his crew by Palmont University. To make a long story short, Kenji was challenged on East Canyon and..." Andre could tell that his long-time best friend was struggling to keep his composure, which was often at this point. "...He didn't survive the drive. So, it needs to be announced that there's a new crew leading Downtown."

A swift click prompted Andre to head to the shop's P.A. system.

"Attention, everyone..." the men and women that crowded the streets turned their focus to him. "Effective immediately, Kenji is no longer the "King of Downtown". The murmurs were enough to convince him to continue. "He and his Bushido's were defeated on East Canyon to a crew only known as the 410 Royals. That's all, Y'all." Ryanna watched closely as he let out a sigh of relief knowing that he didn't screw up the message. Sure, he loved to sing to a crowd, but, public speaking wasn't his forte, to say the least. He wiped his brow before slumping into a nearby chair.

Ryanna smiled softly at her boyfriend before returning to orders from her future customers. She knew their schedule was going to be hectic pretty soon given all the orders she was collecting. It was beginning to look bright on the horizon for them both since that night. At that moment, her thoughts drifted like a driftwood in a stream. It was no secret that her brother was the sole beneficiary of her thoughts right now, though she did her best to push them back.

'He's alive...' she mentally chanted. 'I know he is.'

* * *

Entering the city, a trio of drivers scouted the area while cutting down various streets. They drove in a V-formation, the one in the front scouting around for somewhere in particular. They turned a few more corners, stopping in front of a rundown strip club just on the border of the downtown district.

"Guess we're here..." a young man muttered as he observed the three candy red Vipers blocking the only means for pressing forward. In the middle stood another young man with seemingly perfect hair with two equally beautiful young ladies on either side of him. Though his face gleamed with extreme smugness, behind his eyes, an intense storm was brewing as the reality of Kenji's apparent demise began to weigh heavily on him. He continued to observe the trio as they each exited their vehicles. The first driver stepped out, a cocky smirk adorning his lips, signaling the others to follow. They made their way over to a seemingly disgruntled Beck, stopping only a few feet away. "You wanted to see us?" he crossed his arms, his mouth set in a hard line.

Despite his reservations, Beck closed the gap between himself and the new leader of the Downtown region. Bitterness oozed from his pores but he did his best to hold on to whatever composure he had left. "I'm Beck Oliver. It's a pleasure to finally meet the crew that wiped the Bushidos off the map. I commend your tenacity and view you to be a valuable ally." His mouth twitched into a half smile; his hand extended to the young man. "Welcome to Palmont..."

"Jordan Sterling, leader of the 410 Royals," he responded while accepting the gesture. "We don't aim to win. We annihilate our competition..."

His eyes revealed a dark fire that warranted respect and fear, the former of which Beck himself gave him. "As the leader of Silverton, I have complete authority over the city but you have supreme authority of this city. You have complete control of revenue collected from races involving your crew members and bets taken in your borough. You only have to put your control on the line if a crew earns temporary control of all the smaller districts and they challenge you. If a crew manages that, then they'll have to race your crew members in a race on a course of your choice." Jordan remained quiet but continued to flash a small grin. Beck took notice of this and continued. "The Bi-annual Underground Formal is nearly over, so your claim to the crown is safe for at least two years without having to answer any open challenges. I wouldn't worry about defending that crown for some time unless..." The leader of the 410 Royals openly scowled at the somehow cocky tone Beck portrayed. "...if someone does all of those mentioned tasks successfully, then you'll have to face them in a canyon duel. It was interesting how you reacted to Kenji's 'accident' in my opinion."

"What do you mean? He's more than likely dead from when he tried to ram me." he gritted his teeth. A mixture of emotions flashed along his face. "That could've been me..."

To his amazement, and to a lesser extent anger, Beck simply chuckled. Here he was contemplating whether he should take responsibility for the crash, and yet, here was Beck finding humor in the death of another man. He spared a moment to look over his shoulder at the young man and woman behind him. The former nodded softly signifying his understanding. The woman bit her lip but nodded as well.

"You and your crew don't seem to understand how this city operates. I'm sure you were told about the rules about the rules right?"

Jordan steeled his gaze. "Yeah... First one to reach the bottom would win control of the borough."

"What you don't understand is that there are two ways to first is simply to make to the bottom first." Jordan again nodded. "What you don't know is that there is a second way to win. While it is tradition to race down the canyon and cross the finish line first, it's a bit easier to ram your opponent off the side of the road." Seeing his newest general's eyes widen brought a surge of laughter to erupt. "In fact, most canyon duels rarely result in both racers crossing the finish line."

The 410 Royals exchanged perturbed looks that soon turned into glares towards the malicious, Beck Oliver. Both sisters looked at the ground, unable to acknowledge the horrific truth being revealed. It had always been disturbing to them both, yet they never spoke up due to never having to participate in it. Eventually, Beck wiped the stray tears of humor from his eyes. Seeing Jordan and his crew's naivety was truly amusing to the "Undisputed King of Silverton". A soft smirk was all that remained from what he felt was much needed to unwind from the stressful event.

"Are we done here?"

Beck looked on at the no-nonsense expression and scoffed. "Sure... Just don't think of getting greedy and trying to take other territories for yourself." To Royal's relief, Beck Oliver bid them farewell and headed back to his own team but not before tossing a set of keys to their leader. He stared at them for a few seconds, preparing to question their purpose. "There's a refurbished auto shop in the middle of town. Behind that, stands a set of apartments. You can set up shop there if you're in need of a place to stay."

The trio didn't move from their spots until Beck and his Stacked Deck crew was long out of sight. The young woman was the first to break her stillness...

"Jordan, are you sure we can do this?" her sultry voice held the slightest edge of concern. "Tonight wasn't your fault but... can we really justify killing our competition just to retain control of territory?"

"She's right." the male stepped forward. "That megalomaniac just told you to kill if necessary. That's not what we signed up for, Jordan."

"I know Finn!" he snapped; though they could tell it more from frustration that anger. Finn looked at the man he now called brother with a worried expression as Jordan glared at the empty road ahead. "We'll just make sure nobody gets to the point of challenging us. You heard him..." his lips curved into a dark and twisted smirk. "...only a crew that takes control of every district can challenge right, Alex?" she nodded, her eyes narrowed with skepticism. "Then we just make sure no crew makes it that far... Problem solved."

The two flashed side eyed gazes at each other before smiling back.

"Sounds like a plan, buddy!" Finn brushed his fingers through his hair.

Alexandria placed a hand on Jordan's chest and softly kissed his lips. "That's why he's the leader of this crew..." she winked before walking back to her White Mitsubishi Eclipse. Finn and Jordan followed suit, heading to their gold 2008 Ford Mustang and 2013 Dodge Challenger respectively. They soon found themselves heading to their new home courtesy of some coordinates given to their hardened leader. 'This was going to be an interesting city after all.' he mused mentally.

* * *

Trina rested on her back in her king sized bed, hoping that unconsciousness would claim her senses. Unfortunately, all she received were thoughts about her past back in Rockport. Back then, everything was so natural. Everything was so normal. So... perfect... She was, of course, thinking about the days when she was happy in Rosewood, back when everything was peaceful. She lived alone in the Petersburg district but all of that changed when he showed up...

 **1 1/2 Years Ago...**

 **Petersburg**

 _Travis pulled up behind Trina's pink/white Lamborghini Gallardo behind her personal auto shop. The sun was nearly gone so the cold had begun to set in. As he got out he noticed that Trina was shivering so he took off his brown hoodie and attempted to wrap it around her but she had rudely rejected it calling it a 'hooded rag'. By the time he had gotten settled in on the couch outside, he had already made a clear assumption of what to expect: Pure Vanity. After all, he only seemed to catch her wearing designer Prada and Louis Vuitton outfits and Fazinni boots. He had made up his mind that she didn't like him and vice versa._

 _"Hey, Travis... time to eat!"_

 _"Boy, this is gonna fun..." he pushed off of the couch and headed towards the makeshift 'kitchen' expecting a glammed up girl with an all but certainly screwed up meal but, what he saw caught him completely off guard._

 _Travis had just walked into something he'd never expected to see. Standing before him was a dressed down Trina wearing pink and white jogging pants and a simple T-shirt and while her hair still looked somewhat luxurious, it was done up in a slightly messy ponytail. All of her superficial make-up was nowhere in sight on her face instead replaced with a simple touch of apple scented lip gloss, and a touch of light purple eyeshadow. She turned to him noticing his aback expression and giggled as she finished pouring what appeared to be noodles into a large bowl._

 _"You can close your mouth now, Travy..." she smiled not taking her eyes off of the dish in front of her. "You'll catch flies that way."_

 _Snapping back to reality, he did his best to appear upset at the apparent new nickname._

 _"It's just Travis..." he muttered just enough to not sound completely like a stuck up jerk._

 _What happened next caught him by surprise. Trina finished stirring and walked over to him; invading his personal space._

 _"But I think... the name Travy sounds... much sexier," she whispered in his ear._

 _Now Travis was completely vulnerable. His heart was racing at the slightest touch she gave him. Her apple scented lips sent his thoughts spiraling out of control. He dared to look into her hazel brown eyes seeing that her face was stained pink. He never felt this way around anyone; especially a stranger. Their lips were mere millimeters apart when a small groan shook him out of the lustful fantasy that he had envisioned._

 _"I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I just can't do this again..."_

 _Confusion once again settled on his face._

 _"Do what again?"_

 _"Sleep with you... just to get you to stay." her trembling voice must've struck a nerve because Travis just couldn't find the heart to be upset even though he knew he would be justified in doing so._

 _"Why? I already agreed to stay and hear what you all wanted to talk about..."_

 _She began to sob quietly as he wrapped his arms around her in empathy._

 _"J-Jade said that if I wanted you to stay with me... here... then I would have to sleep with you and 'show you a good time'..."_

 _Travis walked her slowly to the couch and laid back letting her rest on his chest. Her sobbing had been reduced to a few sniffles and low groaning of frustration._

 _"Look, Trina, you're a very attractive girl and I wouldn't mind staying here with you... I was just upset that I was being separated from my baby sister... She's all I have left of my family..."_

 _She looked up and gave him a sad smile._

 _"How exactly are you two related? If you don't mind me asking..."_

 _He chuckled and kissed her forehead out of instinct._

 _"Well, it's a long story... One that may take all night," he warned._

 _"I think I have time.." she giggled as she planted a soft kiss on his cheek earning a slight tint of red to creep on his face._

 **Present Day**

Trina would let out a bitter chuckle at the thought of their first night together. It wasn't much in terms of glamour or anything but it was enough. They would spend the rest of that night enjoying her delicious cooking and chatting about their past races. Once that concluded, they both went into the living room and watched movies, falling asleep on the couch in the process. She took a picture of them together and then huddled under him. Just before she fell asleep that night, she could faintly remember him wrapping an arm around her body before surrendering to drowsiness.

Despite the small smile on her face, it was evident that she wasn't happy. Clutching her head, she couldn't stop the memories from pouring in amidst her best efforts. The dates they went on, the many times he protected her from harm, the passionate night spent with one another, it was all too much as she found herself covering her face with her 's body began to shake violently while tears ran freely down her face. There were no sounds, just evidence of the silent torture of a guilty ex-lover.

There wasn't much for her to do but endure the wrath of fate as another memory began to plague her mind.

"No..." it was the only word she could eke out.

 **Rockport City- Petersburg**

 _"Dammit! They did it again!" Trina was bawling._

 _"Who did what?" Travis just came from underneath his Mitsubishi Lancer with a confused glance at the girl._

 _"Huh? Oh... It's nothing really." she swiftly wiped her tears and put on the best smile she could muster up._

 _Now standing, Travis walked up to her and smiled softly._

 _"Okay, how about we make a deal..." Trina raised an eyebrow in interest and curiosity. "You tell me what's wrong, and I'll tell you two of my darkest secrets. That way you'll have 1-up on me..." he chuckled._

 _Trina was now blushing profusely but nodded at him._

 _"Well..." she started. "Jade, Andre, and I are supposed to be the top racers in Rosewood. We represent the new Blacklist, a secret group of the top 15 most wanted racers in Rockport." she swallowed before opening her mouth again. "When this guy Razor, the former #1 was arrested, a few of my 'friends' and my sister were given the title of Blacklist racers. I was..." she choked back the tears. "...#15."_

 _Rashad looked confused. "How in the hell are you #15? This past week I saw you smoke like 3 serious racers with little to no effort!"_

 _"Well it was Jade, really..." she was in charge of assigning the ranks. "The rest is self-explanatory..."_

 _Trina looked down, quickly averting her eyes from Travis' in shame. He could only think of what was told to him. Blacklist. Others like Trina. How did he fit into all of this?_

 _"I know what you're thinking..." He snapped out of his thoughts. "...You think Im a joke... A possible easy girl who hides behind glamour only to be revealed as a sham... a wash-up... a-."_

 _Her 'speech' was interrupted by Travis' lips crashing into hers. Her mind was being blown as she kissed back. The way he held her, the gentle force of his lips on hers, the passion behind it, she was hooked. When they finally pulled apart for some air, Trina tried to make sense of all of what had just occurred._

 _"Wha- What was-?_

 _"That was my first secret..." he whispered._

 _Nothing more needed to be said. As he directed her to the couch. She shook her head and led him to her room._

 _Within seconds, they both were completely undressed and passionately making out._

 _"Oh... oh my gosh! Are you sure you wanna-?"_

 _He silenced her again with his soft lips. His hands exploring her body as her's did the same._

 _Once the kiss was broken, the only thing she remembered was the three words she was told would never be told to her:_

 _"I love you... Trina Vega..."_

 _"I- I love.. you too._

 _After that Trina felt herself being held tightly in his arms causing her to legitimately smile from her heart for the first time._

That last memory was more than enough to force Trina into a coma-like sleep.

* * *

"Hey, Travis..." a familiar voice rang in the young man's ears, prompting him to put his game on pause.

"Yeah, sweetheart?

He darted towards the front door of his apartment to find none other than his girlfriend, Jade, carrying various bags of clothes and food. It was her turn to run errands while Travis had already cleaned the place from top to bottom. While Jade enjoyed the sights of Tri-City, she didn't particularly enjoy the rotation of chores. Their two bedroom apartment wasn't particularly the grandest, but they made due. Thanks to Liam, they were able to get their lives back on track, both as individuals and a couple. While both would still race to keep their skills sharpened, they both would grow closer and form what appeared to be an unbreakable bond.

Alone, Jade learned to channel her pain from being rejected into something positive as she also performed at one the city's local night clubs whenever she wanted some extra spending cash. It was much more stable than working back in the San Juan district. Speaking of which, she also revealed to the two that her living there was a direct result of spite on the part of Beck Oliver, her ex-boyfriend. She explained how once the gang agreed to move, she was the only one who spoke out against Trina and Beck's sudden relationship so soon after Travis' disappearance. She knew it was suspicious but risked her standing with the group. Only Ryanna and Andre stood by her side when things began to crumble. Soon after, Beck won a four-man race to crown the new "King of Silverton" and his first order was to force Jade out of the main boroughs to avoid anymore outburst against him and Trina Vega.

Travis, the dark horse in all of this, took that heavily but used it as motivation to be better. He began working full time at Liam's auto shop, the Den of Wolves while racing part-time alongside the two. They later began to gain a reputation while somehow keeping their identities hidden from the authorities. He, like Jade, also focused on calming his emotions, preferably anger, and later used it as fuel for his ultimate goal: Defeating Beck.

Liam watched with amusement at how close his two best friends had become over the past year since they left Palmont. He continued to upgrade his shop in any way possible to attract more customers. This proved to be an excellent idea as business was booming not too long after the two arrived. He kept a close eye on them though, making sure they didn't do anything too reckless. While he too was headstrong, they were both purely driven by emotions and pain. He did his best to help them overcome that flaw while advancing their driving proficiency to new heights.

The couple quickly put the food and clothes in their proper areas before settling down for the evening. Both of them were exhausted but happy that they could relax for once. The pale skinned beauty huddled up closer under Travis, earning a strong arm around her form. It was amazing how they came to be.

"Jade..." he whispered/kissed her ear.

Her response was a light giggle and a playful slap to the chest.

"You know that's a sensitive area." she eked out before finding herself pulled into a bear hug. "Okay, okay! What's up, sexy?:

"Do you ever still think of the past sometimes?" his tone, though playful, still held some leftover residual.

Jade raised an eyebrow, hoping to understand the random question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the gang, Rockport, Palmont?" She turned her gaze away and Travis knew exactly why. She only got like this when her insecurities began to creep into her mind. "I mean about Beck and setting me up to be killed..." he quickly added in a flustered voice.

While she didn't believe him at first, she looked down at the hardwood floor. Her reflection in the polished wood was a constant reminder that she wasn't the same old heartless bitch that Travis met years ago. She needed to remain calm and be honest.

"I have to admit... I do miss living with you at our old home." Before he could comfort her further, Travis noticed his girlfriend steel her glare. "But I don't miss that arrogant jackass, Beck. He's the reason you were almost killed! He's the reason you were suffering in prison!"

Seeing her in pain, Travis simply wiped her tears with his thumb then kissed her passionately. He could feel her body tense but didn't relinquish the kiss until oxygen proved more valuable. A now flabbergasted Jade could only stare at the young man who grew from her closest friend to her boyfriend who was simply grinning from ear to ear.

"He's also responsible for us getting together int he first place. Had he not caught me when he did, I'd probably be still in prison right now..."

Jade contemplated his words for a moment and smiled at his words. This was the nature of their relationship: Balance.

Soon, they would find themselves preparing to take a nap when an unwanted ringer blared throughout their home. It was no question who was calling, only for what purpose. Travis took it upon himself to answer.

"What's up, Liam? I'm kind of in the middle of something..." he grumbled while looking over his shoulder at an impatient Jade West.

"Sorry, but I have some news about Palmont.." Liam's tone showed no signs of pleasantries. "...I received word from an insider source that Kenji was killed a few weeks ago during a canyon duel. As a result, the Bushido's are now disbanded and Downtown is under someone else's control. This is just what we've been waiting for."

Travis nodded at his friend's words but felt his stomach become uneasy at what possibilities this could bring up. "Okay, so what do we do? I don't want to jump into something without a clear agenda."

"It's simple, now that there's a new crew in power, Beck's control and trust have now been proven to be dwindling. I'll collect more information before deciding if we should act now, or wait a bit longer. I'll get in touch after two weeks with anything else I can scrape up about what's going on. Just be ready, bro..."

Travis listened to the predictable sound of his phone hanging up and set the device on the counter. He then returned to find the gothic girl wearing one of his shirts, a black, green, and silver football jersey, that was clearly too big on her. He chuckled softly and pounced on the bed, playfully growling while Jade erupted with laughter. They continued to play wrestle for a bit before the two wound up exhausted again. By this point, Travis had somehow lost his shirt in the scuffle while Jade was happily resting her head on his chest. Just as they began to feel sleep begin to take charge, the inevitable came to pass.

"What did Liam say?" she whispered.

"There's been some changes in Palmont. There's a new crew controlling the Downtown Borough and it appears Beck is none too pleased." his hand stroked her raven hair lovingly. "Liam then went on to say that we may be heading down there soon but nothing is confirmed until he returns in a couple of weeks. That gives us plenty of time to chill before we even think of going down there."

Jade wasn't pleased with that idea at all but nodded before an adorable yawn slipped past her lips. She felt the warmth of their comforter being pulled over her still form and surely succumbed to the might of sleep. Travis smiled softly as she rested on top of him. Despite being over a year since they became official, he just couldn't get tired of seeing her. He placed his lips gently on her forehead before he too fell victim to the sandman's will.


	9. Chapter 9: Convictions and Restrictions

**Good morning everyone! I just want to apologize right off the bat at the delayed update. I'm currently working on several projects and they seemed to push me into the writer's block corner. With this chapter done, I will be working on the next one as soon as I can. I also am pushing for keeping up with my other story's "Demons Within" and "Eyes of the Abyss" my new fiction set in the world of Avatar TLA and LoK. I am pushing to complete each and every one of them without fail. I thank and love you all who read and support this author in training. The final project is my own original novel that I'm working on.**

 **I won't be abandoning Fanfiction as this was where I figured out my love for writing. Again, I thank you all who review, message, and just read my works. It means a lot to me and I can't express my gratitude enough. I hope you enjoy this chapter, though it is somewhat filler. I needed to bridge the last chapter so that the next one will make sense without having to create a giant time skip. But, enough of the preliminaries, enjoy chapter 9 and look for chapter 10 coming soon.**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 2: Downtown Arc**

 **Chapter 9: Convictions and Restrictions**

"Tori Vega and Robbie Shapiro?" a stern voice boomed.

The half Latina girl and Jewish boy stood up from their seat within the confines of the holding cell. Tori gripped the bars as she made eye-contact with the officer in front of her. He had tan skin and somewhat unruly hair that rested under his police cap.

"Follow me..." he opened the cell door and watched as both captives walked out. "This way."

"Where are we going?" Robbie whispered as they passed several other police officers who glared back in response

"That shouldn't concern you!" The officer's voice sent a shock wave of nerves through both Robbie & Tori who thought it best to keep quiet.

After about 5 minutes of walking, they both noticed the presence of the city. The smell of hot dogs, the hustle, and bustle of the residents and businessmen and women, even the sounds of car horns blaring in the distance was enough to tell them that something was afoot.

"Okay..." the officer in question broke the silence. "...We're cleared..."

He removed the cap letting his already messy hair fall past his shoulder and pulled off the uniform top, revealing a blue Pulp Fiction T-shirt underneath.

"Wait? What's going on here?" Tori asked raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"No time, we gotta bolt now or else it's back to the slammer for all of us!" the boy ran off towards a Grey Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 with black racing stripes. "Hop in!"

Tori and Robbie complied with little delay. Once inside, the young man zoomed out of the parking garage at nearly 100mph without hitting a single police vehicle. His expert timing and judgment were being exhibited earning a smirk from Tori.

"Well?" she teased as they suddenly flew past a garbage truck. He looked over at her trying to figure out what she meant by the simple word. "Don't I get to know my 'knight in shining armor's name?" she batted her eyelashes earning a slight tint of pink to surface on the guy's face.

"Oh... I'm um... Liam, Mon Cherie'." he stammered as he made a sharp turn onto the highway.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Liam..."

"Moreau." Robbie interrupted with a look of pure shock. "You're Liam Moreau!"

"Robbie? How do you know this?" Tori raised a questionable eyebrow at the curly haired man.

"Duh, look at the tattoo under his shirt, Tori."

The latina gazed at the left side of Liam's shirt and sure enough, there was the Moreau symbol tattooed on his upper arm.

"You're a legend! An Icon!" Robbie sputtered out in a mix of joy and shock. "You were the top racer in Palmont City!"

Liam could only chuckle when out of nowhere, he eyed three pursuit vehicles tailing him. With a chuckle, a nod to Robbie and a wink towards Tori, he did what he was known for... Shifting gears he zoomed past traffic, zig-zagged through rows of cars and buses only to somehow reach a dead end.

"Um... Liam?" Robbie poked his shoulder repeatedly.

"Yes... Robbie...?" he answered annoyed more than anything.

"Would you mind telling us..." he sat back in a mockingly calm demeanor. "...How we are gonna get past those Heavy Rhino Units ahead of us?"

Liam turned his focus back onto the street ahead and sure enough, there were at least 6 large SUV in a double row. Spike strips were set behind the rows of units.

"Looks like the only way to go is up..." Liam allowed a wide grin to creep along his face as Tori and Robbie exchange somewhat bewildered and confused glances at each other.

Out of nowhere, another vehicle only this one was a black 67' Charger with blue rims which came to a heavy screeching halt, allowing the car to get low enough from Liam's Mustang to get on the hood and leap over the entire roadblock. Once they made it over, both cars sped off in their respective directions leaving Tori and Robbie stunned and scared straight.

"Haha, thanks for that assist!" Liam roared in a fit of laughter.

"Anytime, man... Hey, meet me over by the garage under the bridge. You and your friends can crash there." the mysterious boy announced over the computer system.

"Okay, we'll meet you there..." Liam responded before shutting off the communication link.

It was about 10 minutes later when they all arrived inside the safe house. Robbie was the first one to head inside given the circumstances of what happened earlier. His anticipation was shortlived when he ran into a familiar African American.

"Liam..." He simply groaned as the images before he began to morph out of focus, plunging him into a tunnel of distorted colors.

He would soon find himself rolling off of his couch onto a small pile of empty beer bottles. This feeling of discomfort only brought his consciousness into a realization of the hangover currently pounding his skull. He clutched his head, shutting his eyes in a futile attempt to stop his world from spinning. Needless to say, it wasn't much to help him.

"He's wasted.." the clearly feminine voice echoed in Liam's head, resulting in a groan of pain to pass his lips. "...Help me get him up, Travis."

Soon he could feel a pair of hands pulling his frame back up on the couch. The sounds of rattling bottles only added on to his self-inflicted torture.

"Not so loud..." he whined before letting a hot burp slip out.

Travis and Jade only rolled their eyes in pure annoyance before the latter pushed past her significant other towards the kitchen. Travis decided to sit next to his prone friend but made sure to do it as slow as possible. Though he didn't know for sure, he had a good idea why the man wound up smelling like a brewery right now.

"Coffee should be ready in a bit," Jade announced much to the duos disdain, given the circumstances.

After nearly four cups of coffee, Liam was beginning to feel better from the previous night's escapades. Finally able to sit up without having the urge to vomit anymore was a relief to everyone but that still left the proverbial elephant to be acknowledged.

"Bro, what happened to you last night?"

Liam clutched his mug even tighter after hearing the question. In truth, he didn't want to answer; didn't want to open up about the seemingly unbearable pain that plagued him for years. He continued to stare blankly at the far wall of his apartment. The place was actually nice and lavish for an auto shop owner and semi-retired street racer. Aside from the uncomfortably large amount of bottles scattered around the living room, it was a very nice and lavish place. A tiny part of Travis felt a bit jealous.

Jade stood off in the far corner near the kitchen, literally right next to the coffee maker. Her icy orbs remained locked on the two.

"Liam, you can tell us anything. You know that right?" Jade could feel the desperation pouring with every word. "You've helped Jade and me countless times. Let us help you for once.."

"Thanks... I really mean that guys." his voice was raspy and sounded more like he was growling than talking. "I just had a wild night that's all. The girls must've left hours before you two came. I'm alright though, so there's no need to worry." He flashed an obviously forced smile that only seemed to accentuate the dark bags that hung under his eyes. "I've just had a lot of stress from the shop and needed to relax for a change."

It was clear that they wouldn't get anywhere with Liam in the current state that he was in. For them, whatever was haunting Liam at this time, seemed to a have a more powerful hold on him than there comforting words could. Realizing the futility of the situation, Jade made her way towards the door, irritation clearly written on her ivory face.

"Come on, Travis. Liam needs time to think... Besides we have other matters to discuss.."

"Jade are you serious?!" he yelled before receiving the mother of all death glares. Not normally one to be intimidated, there was something about this time that sent an uncomfortable chill up his spine. It seemed that Jade had won this battle, but the war was far from over as he stood to his feet reluctantly. Seeing his best friend in a dark place right now was eating him up inside but he didn't know what else to do. Liam didn't even respond, just continued to stare blankly at the entertainment center across from him. "Liam..." he looked up, eyes devoid of any emotion. "Call when you're ready to talk, okay? Don't do anything stupid on your own alright?"

"Y-yeah.." he managed to get out before hearing the door shut. Alone once again, he sat back and fixed his gaze unto the ceiling, sounds of the outside world flooding his senses for the first time since being awoken. "What the hell?" he whispered to nobody in particular.

* * *

"Jade what the fuck was that about?!" Travis finally caught up to his gothic girlfriend who was unfazed by his tone.

She continued to walk away, her love following close behind like an angry dog. This persisted until they were outside some random building across from an old diner. "Whatever do you mean?" she turned around, amused at the vein that threatened to pop out of his forehead.

"You know what I'm talking about!" he damn neared roared at her. This only accomplished to get a few questionable looks from a few passing pedestrians. "How could you be so heartless with Liam like that? If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for him!" To his surprise, Jade began to chuckle softly. If he knew her as well as he thought, Jade was up to something... it was the only explanation for this specific response. "What's so funny?" his tone shifted from anger to now, a worried tone.

"Vega..." her lips twisted into a soft frown.

Travis took a few moments to figure out what she meant before it clicked. "Tori."

"Bingo." she plucked his nose. "Those two were a serious item back in Rockport, remember?"

"Oh right..."

"Anyways, I'm willing to bet that he still misses her. Maybe they were supposed to be more before things fell apart?"

Things were starting to make sense for Travis who let his anger subside with each passing second. "What do you think happened between them? As a matter of fact, what happened to everyone after I got caught by the cops?"

"To answer your first question, I don't know. They could've been engaged or maybe run away together."

"Pregnancy..." Both Jade and Travis swiftly turned to the source of their answer, none other than Liam himself. Raking a hand through his unkempt hair, he let out a sigh of defeat. "She was pregnant with our child before things went downhill for the gang." Shock and awe washed over their faces, serving only to make him feel more uncomfortable than before. The three stood there silent for what felt like an eternity before Liam turned to walk towards the diner leaving the still stunned shocked couple there. "Are you two coming?"

Exchanging a single glance, they crossed the street following their friend to a vacant booth inside of the restaurant.

"Okay..." Jade spoke up immediately as to avoid another awkward silence. "...What's this about you knocking up Vega?"

"Well, it started after we rescued you guys from Razor at the shipyard. Tori had been having some pretty bad nightmares about the creep and so I kept a close eye on her which led to us eventually forming a relationship. Eventually, we became intimate and a few months later, we found out that she was indeed pregnant." His pause proved to be a perfect point for more questions, but before either could open their mouths, they were interrupted by Liam scoffing, no doubt bitterness oozing along with it. "Then you disappeared, Travis. After you went missing, the group began to fall apart but I'll save that for Jade to explain. Meanwhile, Tori and I were always together and less around the others, save for her sister, Trina, who was growing more and more suspicious with every passing day. She eventually found out about the pregnancy and swore not to reveal that to anyone." At this point, Liam glared hard at the table.

"What happened?" Travis asked, his tone low enough so that only he, Jade, and Liam could hear.

Conflicted feelings welled up inside of him but, he chose to continue.

"Razor somehow found out... and he began claiming that the child was actually his." Despite the swelling heat, there was a sudden chill in the air. "We confronted Trina who swore she didn't say anything but we were convinced that she did. In the end, Tori had a miscarriage from all of the stress..." Tears began to well up in the outer corner of Liam's eyes as the emotional toll appeared to finally be getting to him once more. "When Razor claimed that he was the father, he attributed that claim to when most of the gang had been grabbed and that they had sex before we rescued everyone. Before we knew it, we were in a doctor's office getting the news."

At this point, even Jade felt horrible for both Liam and yes, even Tori Vega. There was no snarky remark she could come up with that would've seemed appropriate. Travis fared no better as he couldn't find any words that could come even close to comfort the heartache that had befallen the young man he'd grown to know as a brother. Time once again flew by as the trio sat in uncomfortable silence; only a random waitress asking the occasional 'can I take your orders?' served as a change of pace for the most part. After nearly ten minutes of nothing more being said, Liam stood to his feet and began to walk away only to feel a hand clasp around his forearm. He turned around, flashing a dark glare at Travis, earth, and metal clashing as neither broke their glares from the other.

"Let me go, Travis." his words dripping with intense venom.

However, his best friend would not be deterred. "Not until you answer one last question."

To his surprise, Liam simply nodded his head towards none other than Jade West who was equally surprised. "Ask her. She can tell you everything..." Pulling his arm from Travis' hold, he pulled out of a cigarette, lit it and took a deep drag before resuming his departure. "Oh yeah." he paused. "We'll be heading back to Palmont in a few days," he noted. Before either could ask anything more, he was down the block and blended in with the other pedestrians heading in various directions.

"Jade, what happened the night I left?" his tone, now gentle again, allowed no room for jokes or anything of the like. "Liam apparently was no help, so you're the only one I can turn to."

Seeing no other option, the woman he'd grown to love more with each day huffed. "Alright. It started the day after you disappeared."

* * *

 **Rosewood- St. Petersburg**

 **"Hey beautiful," Travis called out to his girlfriend. However, as he leaned over to hug her, he was shocked to feel her squirm and jerk away from his embrace slightly. "Trina? What's wrong?" his face was twisted with confusion and concern The latina woman bit her lip while trying to keep herself from having a breakdown. "Trina, is something wrong? You know, if there's something wrong, you can talk to me about it."**

 **She gazed into his eyes, seeing nothing but honesty, love and worry practically dancing in sync within his chocolate orbs. She wanted nothing more than to hug him and never let go; to show him that she too loved him without judgment. So how did it end up in the exact opposite scenario occurred? "Trina, I love you..." In what felt like a lifetime, Trina seemingly blinked and in front of her was a now floored Travis looking at her shocked.**

 **"What the hell was that for?" he picked himself up. "What the hell did I do to deserve that?!"**

 **Liam and Tori rushed out of the room to see the couple glaring at one another.**

 **"Why did you do it?" Her words were cold and devoid of any readable emotion.**

 **"Do what? I don't know what you're talking about!"**

 **"Really now? So you don't remember the eyes of the person you killed, Travis?!"**

 **The room grew silent as those words sunk into his mind; eyes growing to the size of golf balls when her words nestled roughly within his memories.**

 **"Trina, what are you talking about?" Tori asked trying to make sense of the heavy allegation directed to her friend.**

 **No words would come out. Travis could only stand there frozen in terror at the realization of his past returning to haunt him. Liam looked at the two and was about to step in but found himself being overshadowed by the young woman. His whole world was crumbling at this point as Travis found himself surrounded by the judgmental gazes of his friends and, now questionable, girlfriend. Liam seemed to be the most lenient of the trio as the two had killed in his past.**

 **"How did you know about that?" he clamped his eyes shut, no doubt in an attempt to push back painful tears that fought diligently to flow.**

 **"So it's true..." Trina crossed her arms. Her boyfriend felt like a statue, trapped in place by Trina Vega's unyielding glare. He tried to find the words to explain the current situation but nothing would come out. His mind was racing at 100 miles per hour as his eyes remained on Trina's unnerving eyes locked onto him. "Trina, you... you don't understand..."**

 **"What's not to understand? You killed someone!" she once again gave him no room for explanation.**

 **"It was self-defense!" He pleads. It was all he felt he could do at this point.**

 **"Why did you do it?!" she roared back as he gritted his teeth, frustration, and pain clear as day on his face. "What reason could you possibly have to justify taking someone's life, you monster?!"**

 **This was the trigger.**

 **Travis' eyes shot open at the mention of that word. It was something that had fueled his nightmares and kept him awake at night until he found himself among friends, or so he thought. His mind became a veritable house of horrors as sounds of crying and yelling echoed in his head. Anybody else would've fallen to their knees and broke down but not Travis. His face was frozen in an unreadable expression that broke the older Vega sister's stone facade.**

 **"What do you care?" his tone was now naturally deeper, surprising everyone else. "You've already made your mind up about me, haven't you." Trina was speechless just as he expected. "That's what I thought..." his lips curled into a bitter smirk. "You're no different than everyone else I've run across. I don't owe you an explanation... What happened has nothing to do with you and now, neither will I..."**

 **"W-what?"**

 **Nothing more was said though. Tori and Liam watched as their friend grabbed his jacket and walked out of the place he'd called home for the past few months. Slamming the door behind him, Travis made his way to his car, anxious to get as far away from everyone inside that place.**

 **Trina remained rooted in the same spot as she heard the sound of an engine roaring and, soon after, the pulling off of a vehicle. The couple watched as Trina began to shake as tears began to flow down her face. The sheer shock of finding out that Travis was involved in killing someone was more than enough to mess with her emotions, but now she had to deal with the fact that her response to it may very well have just cost herself the man of her dreams. Unable to stand the reality of her actions, Trina collapsed and sobbed bitterly as Tori and Liam rushed to her side.**

 **"Hold on, Trina. It's going to be okay..."**

 **The younger Vega sisters attempts at comfort were all for naught as Trina shook her head in shame.**

 **"I don't know Tori..." she wiped a few tears from her cheek. "...I don't know."**

* * *

Jade could tell that her beloved was conflicted right now. Seeing him relive the night he and Trina broke up had to be eating him alive but this was no time for petty jealousy. "Babe?" she waved a hand in his face until he began to blink rapidly. "I'm sorry for dragging back down that road." She admitted bashfully. "I understand if you don't want to know about what happened after that..."

"No..." Jade looked at him questionably. "...I want you to. I need to know what exactly went down."

His eyes no longer bore self-pity or sorrow but instead, a fiery determination that Jade knew all too well. Either he was putting on his tough guy act, or he was tapping into the more careless side of himself. While dangerous, Jade had to admit to herself that this part of Travis was a major turn-on for her. Unfortunately, she needed to ignore the spark in her loins and focus on the task at hands 'There'll be time for that later on.' she mentally grinned from ear to ear at the thought.

"Once you left, Liam contacted everyone about your absence and we all went out to search for you." he nodded silently, giving his undivided attention. "Everyone, aside from Beck, had turned up no evidence of you. He mentioned something about your car being left on the pier yet you were nowhere to be found which raised suspicion for a little while. What started as believing you to have just gone for a walk to clear your head eventually shifted to talks of foul play which Beck swiftly dismissed as you being stubborn. As the months went by, I began to notice that he was becoming more and more friendly with Trina from comforting her to full out taking her out as his way of "helping her to move on" from the "traumatic" break up."

It was evident that Travis was growing more and more uncomfortable the more he found out but didn't so much as blink as Jade continued.

"During that time, what started as simple comforting progressed more into signs of affection. Trina grew more and more reliant on Beck to function while he grew increasingly overprotective over her." The hint of bitterness didn't go undetected, yet it remained unchecked for the time being. "Eventually, they became official as a couple which prompted other members like Phoebe and Skylar to leave. Marcus couldn't take the idea that Trina had broken the latter's heart and left with them."

"What about Ambrosius? Weren't you two an item back then as well?"

Jade hardened her gaze at the table. "We were... but he died or to put it blatantly, he was killed." sensing his next question, Jade raised a hand. "Beck killed him after an altercation between the two. Once you left, Ambro and Liam were the only two vocal enough about Beck and Trina's alleged relationship. Apparently, while Liam was dealing with his status with Tori, Ambro thought it best to.. investigate. He stumbled upon something and tried to tell me but found himself in a fight with Beck. I didn't know what to believe and in the middle of the fight, Beck killed him."

It was clear that like Liam earlier, Jade was emotionally affected by Beck's actions and influence on others. "Jade, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be... You didn't do anything wrong?"

"If I hadn't left, I-"

Before he could finish, Travis would find an ivory finger placed on his lips. He lifted his eyes to see the crystals gazing back at him. Her eyes, pools of regret and shame, glistened with tears that expressed more than that. Anger. Fear. Shame. Conflicted feelings seemed to seep through her very pores. This was a rare form of Jade that only those closest to her had ever witnessed.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. When he accused Beck, I didn't believe him and it drove him crazy.."

"What did he accuse Beck of?"

Jade bit her lip, refusing to look her boyfriend only to feel his finger lift her chin gently. Behind his eyes were understanding and a warmth that she'd only seemed to feel from him. She could've sworn that her heart had skipped a beat when he smiled softly; one of her weaknesses.

"He accused Beck of betraying us and having something to do with your disappearance and..." the hesitation was all that was needed for him to realize that Jade was about to crack. It wasn't necessary for him to hear any more about such a heart-wrenching subject. Travis simply looked at the woman and took her hands into his own, his thumb rubbing against them. It was all that was needed to be said as he noticed Jade finally calming down since opening the door to the truth. Her pulse seemed to steady as she inhaled for what appeared to be for the first time in her life.

"Let's go home. We can continue this sometime down the road... For now, we have to get ready for tomorrow."

The two began their departure home but stopped midway there. "Wait, what's tomorrow?"

Travis grinned slyly at the confused goth. "We're going back to Palmont City."

Before Jade could object to that idea, Travis had already his way down the street to their apartment. It was clear that this was a decision made without Liam's consultation and it both worried and excited Jade West. Over a year had passed and she didn't need anyone to tell her what was going on in the young man's head. He was operating on pure vengeance. Retribution for all the hurt that Beck caused to not only himself but Jade, Ambrosius, Andre, Ryanna and many more that may have been used for Beck Oliver's rise to power. In his eyes shone a flame of rage that he would have to contain.

He knew that he couldn't take on Beck so long as he held control over the city as a whole. He recalled the plan for the three to take over each and every borough until he was forced to accept a challenge. Either way, he was going to make him pay for his actions on his terms by any means necessary. Suddenly one final thought 'graced' his mind: Trina and Tori. It was common knowledge that they'd protect him without a shadow of a doubt. Soon, he would find himself stepping inside the place he and Jade called home for the past year with distinct fondness. The two then proceeded to gather anything that would fit in their cars. Travis continued to ponder his decisions but Jade couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to answer a question that seemed to plague her mind.

It was a question that she struggled to answer at the restaurant.

"What happened to Cat?"


	10. Chapter 10: Ashes Rebirth

**Alright, I know I've been neglecting this story for well over a year now. I deeply apologize for that but, I became so engrossed with life and even working on my other story, Demons Within. I never intended on leaving this story and I am dedicated on finishing this as well. With the aforementioned fiction pretty much finished, I'll be working on progressing Torque as much as possible while starting on the next project(s). While this chapter is pretty short, it's generally a jumpstart for the continuation of this story and I hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Love you all who support and keep up with this and my other works.**

* * *

 **NFS: Torque**

 **Arc 2: Downtown Arc**

 **Chapter 10: Ashes Rebirth**

Trina, who couldn't stand being cooped up in the garage any longer, decided to go for a walk to clear her head. She sat up and stretched before getting off of the couch and grabbing her keys. Unfortunately, she ran into a problem named Liam, who just happened to be heading out of the room he shared with Tori.

"Ow! Trina what are you-?" he nearly yelled when he noticed her keys in one hand and her purse in the other. "Where do you think you're going?"

Rolling her eyes, Trina tried to push past him only to have a strong arm to block her path.

"Trina, where are you going?" he voice was more deathly calm at this point.

"None of your business... Now let me through!"

She once again attempted to get past Liam only to end up bouncing back. She knew she wasn't going anywhere so long as he was standing there.

"You know I can't do that. I've been given orders to-"

"To hell with those orders!" she roared in a mixture of rage and sorrow. "Let me out, Liam!"

Unknown to the curvy Latina, Tori had woken up and was watching the entire encounter unfold.

"I understand why you'd want to leave but it's too dangerous with those clowns out there!" his voice raising slightly.

In the midst of her anger, Trina failed to notice the tears that ran down her face. Her lip was quivering and her body looked to show the early signs of a breakdown.

"Please...!" she grabbed his t-shirt and sobbed bitterly into his chest. "Please let me look for him..."

As each second passed, Liam's heartfelt closer and closer to breaking as he watched Trina Vega clutch his shirt with every fiber of her being. Sighing, he surprisingly hugged the girl and let her continue to cry. Every ounce of pain and suffering poured out as Trina felt every negative in her life slowly die within her. From the small things like Jade's pestering to the major damage involving her former "relationships", the girl who felt lower than dirt failed to realize her surroundings.

"It's okay, Trina." a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

As her sobs shifted into sniffles, Trina looked up to see that she was now hugging her younger sister and behind her stood Liam who was now sporting a soft smile. The buxom girl sighs and wiped away a few stray tears as Tori motioned her to have a seat.

"Trina, you know that I love you and I would do anything to help you but..."

Trina looked at her sister who appeared to be struggling with finishing her sentence.

"What are you trying to say?"

"This thing between you and Rashad..." Liam interjected. "...while I don't like taking sides, you were wrong to confront him the way you did."

The couple watched as Trina's expression slowly turned from one of relief to one of anger once more.

"What are you saying?! I'm not the one who killed someone! He kept this a secret from me!" she retorted.

"Like how we kept our past from him and Liam?"

The sisters stared at one another with contrasting glares. In Trina's eyes was a furious flame while Tori's brown orbs flashed like a righteous storm. Finally, it was the older of the two who wound up losing as Trina let out a defeated sigh.

"Trina, he not only accepted you despite your past, he ended up loving you regardless. Even when he found out about your past with those sadists, Baron and Kaze, he still stayed by your side. He didn't ask questions or even judge you for not telling him. He stayed with you despite what you used to be but at the first sign of a flaw in his life, you transformed from his loving girlfriend to his judge, jury, and executioner! You're being a hypocrite."

Those words struck Trina like a knife in the heart. Deep in her soul, she knew that Tori was right.

"You're right.. I screwed up bad," she admitted to herself as she buried her face in her hands. "We have to find him."

But nobody would be ready for the horrifying truth that would unfold...

* * *

That day haunted Trina months with no end in sight. The moment she realized that her love for Travis truly overrode any and everything pertaining to his past. Unfortunately, she'd realize not too soon after that he was listed as dead. For the next eighteen months, she'd gotten to know Beck a little better and eventually go on to dating him in the process. While at first, she was sure that he was only using her to get back at Jade, those fears were put to rest when the big raid happened.

She could remember everything as clear as day.

Police sirens.

Helicopters.

Spike strips.

That fateful bridge.

Every detail about that day was crystal clear as she lay in the plush king-sized bed that took up most of her luxury bedroom.

On that day, she remembered being pulled into the car by none other than Beck. The significance of this moment was that he risked capture by rushing through the swarm of Rockport cops in order to rescue her. He didn't have to do that, especially when there were plenty of other members he could've chosen to help. Instead, he made what some would call a foolish gamble for her sake.

Once inside, she was greeted with a hard crash of his lips onto her own that numbed her brain for the duration of their escape; this caused a faint grin to appear on her features. After escaping over the disconnected bridge successfully, she didn't hesitate to solidify their relationship by moving in with the pretty boy after arriving in Palmont City. He would then begin showering her with gifts and even a new vehicle that she absolutely adored. Everything was perfect for her...

...Until he came back...

Gone now was the ghost of a smile, replaced now with a soft frown that threatened to harden with every second that passed. Her life up to this point had been so simple, full of elegance and treasured memories that normally would set her heart aflutter but... but HE just had to return from the grave and show his face after the truth was spilled.; a truth that only she and Beck knew about.

She swiftly sat up, her features now bathed in the glow of the full moon above the city. She remained in this position for a little longer before tossing off the satin sheets in her quest to leave the dreadful loneliness that filled her bedroom.

Her first stop was to the bathroom where she tried, unsuccessfully, to hurl up the sour feeling that taunted her stomach. The sounds of dry heaving echoed throughout as attempt after attempt failed. No matter what she did, Trina just couldn't release the horrible feeling swimming inside her.

'Why?' she silently cursed, clutching her sternum. 'Why did you have to come back?'

Her eyes welled with tears as she begrudgingly accepted her body refusal to cooperation, pulling herself up slowly in the process. By now, her normally well-done hair had become matted against her face thanks to the copious amount of sweat. Terra firma stared off as she found herself leaning against the door frame for support.

"Travis..." even the mere whisper of his name plagued her insides.

She managed to hold onto her sanity, quickly washing her face, and soon, she hurried to change out of her pajamas once she felt she could trust her legs to hold up. She wasted little time in throwing something together for fear of her stomach's desire for a second round with the toilet. She decided on a simple Hello Kitty t-shirt and some designer jeans that hugged her hips perfectly before slipping into a pair of no name (but comfortable) gym shoes. The final item on her list would be her cell phone and purse, the latter holding something both near and dear to her heart.

As she stepped outside, she couldn't have been more grateful for the smell of fresh air that hit her nose.

The cool breeze kissed her cheeks, caressing soft olive skin with its gentle fingers as she headed towards her car, making it clear that she was intent on getting away from the haunting locale for a bit. She needed to clear her mind while also doing some soul searching. Putting the keys in the ignition, Trina took a moment to spare a glance at the fancy apartment building only to have that familiar rotten sensation begin to stir up within once more. That was all the motivation she needed as she started her candy red Mazda 328 DXi and sped off into the night, letting one final question drift off into the wind.

Why did Travis still haunt her... even after death?

* * *

 **San Juan District**

After a few days, Travis, Liam, and Jade arrived in town, making a bee-line for the neutral district of Palmont. The plan was simple, they would create some waves in the districts, just enough to get a little notoriety with the minor crews while avoiding Beck and his Stacked Deck crew. While it wasn't their first option, (Jade preferred to make a big splash and wreck everything for her former boyfriend), it was deemed the best for everyone involved.

The night sky set a tranquil scene, a complete contrast to the trio.

The vehicles went down the winding roads in search of lodging, preferably for Liam who was against rooming with Travis' sister and her boyfriend. In his view, it would be too big of a risk for them to just suddenly appear out of the blue, especially if a certain pretty boy was still lurking. To say that he was on edge would be an understatement as his own sense of paranoia oozed out of him like a water.

Avoiding an argument, the three settled on a simple motel on the far east end of the borough where they quickly set up shop; the couple getting their own room separate from Liam, who was content with this decision. In truth, he had his own mission that didn't include the pair's involvement...

"Are you two alright with this place?" Both nodded, much to his satisfaction. "Alright, I suggest you two get comfortable. We'll be hitting the streets in a couple of nights and we'll all need to be at the top of our game."

"What about you?" Travis called out to his departing brother-in-arms. "Where are you off to?"

Liam stopped just short of the parking lot entrance, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "Just going for a walk; stretching my legs, that's all..."

Knowing this answer wouldn't satisfy his friend, Liam resumed his travel, waving without another word until he disappeared behind the wooden gate.

"Sometimes I wonder about that guy..." Travis shook his head, running his fingers through thick locs only to feel himself being pulled into a deep kiss by his gothic beau.

"You SHOULD be wondering about what I have in store for you tonight, tiger," her words tickled his ear, a weakness of his.

"And just what are you planning?" he lowered his tone several octaves, sending tingles throughout her body.

She bit her lip, sizing up the young man with her azure crystals. "Come inside and you'll find out."

Pulling away just as Travis leaned in closer, Jade made her way to the motel room, curvy hips swaying with each deliberate step. She opened the door, peering over her shoulder with a wanting behind her orbs. Despite obviously noticing this, Travis didn't jump at the bait right away, instead, following behind with a normal pace, albeit his signature grin well documented on his lips.

"You don't play fair..." he chuckled before finding himself being pulled into the room.

"Do I ever?"


End file.
